Introducing Serverless Functions for Pusher Channels

Today we’re pleased to announce the GA release of our latest feature, Pusher Serverless Functions!

What are Pusher Serverless Functions?

Serverless Functions provide a mechanism for responding to client events in a programmatic manner. This feature allows you to modify, filter, change, and re-route realtime events without the burden of managing your own infrastructure.

Serverless Functions are hosted on infrastructure maintained by Pusher. You write the code and deploy it via the Pusher CLI. Functions are subsequently triggered by Channels events: a client event from a customer or a presence channel event, for example.

Why use Pusher Functions?

Faster deployment and scalability without the infrastructure hassle.

Optimised infrastructure management

Pusher handles the task of server infrastructure, ensuring that you can focus on your core tasks without worrying about server availability or maintenance. This eliminates the need to spend time and resources on server setup, configuration, and management.

Flexible implementation

Serverless Functions with Pusher Channels are deployed simply via the CLI, are fully flexible and customisable. You can define your realtime response and automate business logic in your message pipeline exactly to fit your requirements precisely.

High availability

Our deployment strategy spans multiple availability zones. This feature provides a robust and reliable solution for applications that demand high uptime.

Cost efficiency

Usage is rolled up into your existing Channels plan, providing a cost-effective solution. A hosted solution eliminates the need for upfront investment in server infrastructure and reduces overheads required for maintenance.

For precise details on how Functions usage is calculated in relation to your Channels plan, check out the pricing section on docs.

Building realtime apps with Pusher functions: use cases

Rather than just publishing a message to your app users, configuring Functions allows you to augment the message first, or perhaps send a copy to another API. The potential applications are diverse and can be tailored to your specific needs. Some examples might include:

Logging - Serverless Functions can be used to log events for auditing or debugging purposes.

Integration with 3rd party systems - Functions can be used to integrate your application with external systems, enhancing its capabilities.

Data analysis - Functions can be used to analyze data in real-time, providing valuable insights.

Profanity Filtering - In chat applications, Functions can be used to filter out inappropriate language.

Message Translation - Functions can be used to translate messages in real-time, enhancing the user experience for multi-language applications.

Want to show us your ideas? Share your functions invocations with our Discord community.

Get started with Pusher Serverless Functions

We're excited to see how you will use Functions to transform your Channels response.

Stay tuned for more Functions related content in the upcoming weeks and as always, happy coding!

To test this new feature, sign in or sign up for a free sandbox account and get started right away with Functions docs.