LinkInsights

LinkInsights is a full-stack URL shortening and analytics platform that allows users to create shortened links, track clicks, and analyze link performance with detailed insights.

🌟 Features

• User Authentication - Secure signup/login with Firebase
• URL Shortening - Generate shortened URLs with custom aliases
• Click Analytics - Track and analyze link performance
• Dashboard - Comprehensive analytics and insights
• Link Management - View, edit, and delete your shortened links
• Click Details - Detailed information about each click (device, location, referrer)
• Responsive Design - Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile

📋 Project Structure

LinkInsights/
├── frontend/                 # React + Vite frontend application
│   ├── src/
│   ├── package.json
│   └── README.md            # Frontend setup guide
├── server/                   # Node.js + Express backend server
│   ├── src/
│   ├── package.json
│   └── README.md            # Server setup guide
└── README.md                # This file (overview)

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js v14+ installed (Download)
• npm or yarn package manager
• MongoDB database (local or MongoDB Atlas)
• Firebase project (Setup Guide)
• Cloudinary account for image uploads (Sign up)

Installation Steps

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd LinkInsights

Step 2: Setup Backend Server

1. Navigate to server directory:

cd server

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Create .env file with required variables:

PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/linkinsights
JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key_here
FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key
FIREBASE_CLIENT_EMAIL=your_email
EMAIL_USER=your_email@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASS=your_app_password
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173

4. Start the server:

npm run dev

Server will run on http://localhost:5000

📖 Full Server Setup Guide →

Step 3: Setup Frontend Application

1. Open a new terminal and navigate to frontend:

cd ../frontend

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Create .env.local file:

VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000
VITE_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5173
VITE_FIREBASE_API_KEY=your_firebase_api_key
VITE_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=your_firebase_auth_domain
VITE_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_firebase_project_id
VITE_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=your_firebase_storage_bucket
VITE_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=your_firebase_messaging_sender_id
VITE_FIREBASE_APP_ID=your_firebase_app_id
VITE_MEASUREMENT_ID=your_firebase_measurement_id

4. Start the development server:

npm run dev

Frontend will run on http://localhost:5173

📖 Full Frontend Setup Guide →

Step 4: Access the Application

Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5173

📚 Detailed Documentation

• Frontend Setup & Development - React + Vite configuration, environment variables, project structure
• Backend Setup & API - Express server, MongoDB, API endpoints, environment variables

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 18
• Vite
• Redux Toolkit
• Tailwind CSS
• React Router
• Recharts (Charts)
• GSAP (Animations)
• Lucide React (Icons)
• Axios (HTTP)

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JWT Authentication
• Firebase Admin SDK
• Nodemailer
• Cloudinary

📦 Available Commands

Frontend

cd frontend

# Development
npm run dev          # Start dev server with HMR

# Production
npm run build        # Build for production
npm run preview      # Preview production build locally

# Quality
npm run lint         # Check code with ESLint

Server

cd server

# Development
npm run dev          # Start with auto-restart (nodemon)

# Production
npm start            # Start server in production mode

🔐 Security Features

• JWT Authentication - Secure token-based authentication
• Password Hashing - Bcrypt encryption for passwords
• CORS Protection - Configured CORS for secure API access
• Environment Variables - Sensitive data stored in .env files
• Firebase Security - Firebase Admin SDK for secure operations

🌐 API Overview

Authentication Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/signup - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/forgot-password - Password reset request
• POST /api/auth/reset-password - Reset password

Link Management Endpoints

• POST /api/links/create - Create shortened URL
• GET /api/links/getMyLinks - Get user's links
• DELETE /api/links/deleteLink/:id - Delete a link
• GET /api/links/analytics - Get analytics data

Click Tracking

• GET /:shortCode - Redirect and track click

🚨 Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

# Change port in server/.env or frontend vite.config.js

MongoDB Connection Error

• Ensure MongoDB is running
• Check connection string in server/.env
• Verify database user credentials

CORS Error

• Verify FRONTEND_URL in server .env matches your frontend URL
• Check API base URL in frontend .env.local

Firebase Issues

• Ensure Firebase project is created
• Check service account credentials
• Verify Firebase config keys in frontend .env.local

📝 Environment Variables Setup

Gmail App Password (for Nodemailer)

1. Enable 2-factor authentication on Gmail
2. Generate App Password
3. Use generated password as EMAIL_PASS in .env

MongoDB Atlas Connection String

1. Create MongoDB Atlas cluster
2. Create database user with strong password
3. Copy connection string from Atlas dashboard
4. Replace <username>, <password>, and <dbname> in the string

Firebase Setup

1. Go to Firebase Console
2. Create a new project
3. Enable Authentication methods
4. Download service account key for backend
5. Copy Firebase config for frontend

🤝 Contributing

1. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
2. Make your changes
3. Test thoroughly
4. Commit: git commit -am 'Add feature'
5. Push: git push origin feature/your-feature
6. Submit a pull request

📧 Support & Issues

If you encounter any issues:

1. Check the relevant README (Frontend or Server)
2. Review the Troubleshooting section above
3. Create an issue on GitHub with detailed description
4. Include error messages and environment setup details

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

✨ Tips for Success

• Keep both frontend and server running during development
• Use .env and .env.local files for configuration (never commit them)
• Check browser console and server logs for errors
• Test API endpoints with Postman before troubleshooting frontend
• Keep dependencies updated: npm update

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Happy coding! 🎉 Build something amazing with LinkInsights.