Bookkeeping practices: form collection using Django | Ample

INFRASTRUCTURE

What it needs

• Compute: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
• Postgres: verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)
• S3-compatible object storage: verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)

PREREQUISITES

Before you start

• A Django project (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template)
• A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL (auto-provisioned when omitted)
• Bucket credentials from ample bucket create passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables
• A review of which bookkeeping practices data classes may be handled at all; this blueprint models public information only

TESTED CONFIGURATION

Exactly what was tested

• install: python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt
• runtime: python
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• start: PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 run.py
• template: python-3.12

STEP BY STEP

How to do it

1. 1

Model the bookkeeping practices domain

Create the tables client_entities, engagements, document_requests, close_checklists, uploads. Clients and their bookkeeping cadence lives in client_entities; keep the sensitive classes (bank statements and receipts, payroll data, login credentials for accounting software) out of this schema.

2. 2

Workflow step 1

Model document requests per engagement with due dates and status

3. 3

Workflow step 2

Validate uploaded files (type, size) before storing them in the private bucket and linking them to the request

4. 4

Workflow step 3

Authorize uploads by client entity

5. 5

Workflow step 4

Deploy and verify rejection of disallowed files and a linked upload

6. 6

Deploy

Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result. Re-running with no change is a no-op.

ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --start "python3 run.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...

7. 7

Verify

Run the pattern self-test(s) from the example (/p/browser-file-uploads) and your own acceptance checks for the bookkeeping practices workflow.

ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build

EXAMPLES

Tested examples

• Django pattern fixture (tests/deploy-canaries/django-patterns): Verified browser file uploads basis for this blueprint.

SUCCESS CHECKS

How to know it worked

• app responds on its public URL (/ on the live URL, expect ample canary django patterns)
• browser-file-uploads self-test from the example (/p/browser-file-uploads on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)

LIMITATIONS

Know the limits

• The technical basis (browser file uploads on Django) was verified with the pattern fixture; the bookkeeping practices schema and workflow are an original design for this blueprint and were not executed as a separate application.
• No health, financial, privacy or other compliance claim is made. Never store client accounting-software credentials in these flows; financial records are sensitive and no compliance is claimed.
• Public content and synthetic examples only until actual data-handling requirements have been reviewed.
• Verified on the python-3.12 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; region, request-duration limits and other sizes are unknown or unverified.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified.
• PutObject and GetObject with path-style addressing are verified; other S3 operations and CDN cache rules are not.

COST

Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).

• app server x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD
• managed PostgreSQL database x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD

Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

EVIDENCE

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-20T03:31:44Z at revision 03b6402b1b3e19178985f08ea4033804521d85d4-dirty (CLI b75e104): Django pattern fixture deployed on Ample (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); the browser file uploads checks passed: content-type and size validation that rejects disallowed files, an object written to a private bucket and a row linking the record to the object key (reject=ok upload=ok linked=ok). The blueprint's Bookkeeping practices schema and workflow below build on that verified basis and were not separately executed. (expires 2027-03-19T03:31:44Z)

EXECUTION

Execution binding

MCP tool ample_deploy (registry mcp:ample_deploy), schema hash 876465fce906da0c observed 2026-09-21T03:19:59.461917+00:00 at revision 49962bcade4f. Binding state at export: current. Required scopes: servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read.

NEXT ACTIONS

Typed next actions

• Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
• Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Bookkeeping practices (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/industry%3Abookkeeping-practices on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Form collection (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/workload%3Aform-collection on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Django (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-django on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Deploy web app (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Adeploy-web-app on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.