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Environment Variables

This document explains all environment variables required by the CodeX Club Backend.

Environment variables allow the application to be configured without changing the source code. They store sensitive information such as database credentials, API secrets, and third-party service configuration.

Getting Started

Create a new .env file in the project root.

backend/
│
├── .env
├── .env.example
├── package.json
└── src/

Copy the sample configuration.

cp .env.example .env

Then replace the placeholder values with your own configuration.

Environment Variables

Server Configuration

These variables configure the Express server.

Variable Required Description Default
NODE_ENV No Application environment development
PORT No Backend server port 5000
SERVER_URL No Backend server URL http://localhost:5000
CORS_ORIGIN No Allowed frontend origin *

Example

NODE_ENV=development
PORT=5000
SERVER_URL=http://localhost:5000
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173

Database

MongoDB connection configuration.

Variable Required Description
MONGODB_URI Yes MongoDB connection string

Example

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/codex

JWT Authentication

Used for administrator authentication and session management.

Variable Required Description
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET Yes Secret used to sign JWT tokens
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY Yes JWT expiration time

Example

ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your-super-secret-key
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY=10d

Cloudinary

Cloudinary stores uploaded images.

Used for:

  • Event Cover Images
  • Team Member Photos
Variable Required Description
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME Yes Cloudinary cloud name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY Yes Cloudinary API key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET Yes Cloudinary API secret

Example

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=xxxxxxxxxxxx
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

SMTP Email Configuration

SMTP credentials are used for sending emails.

Used for:

  • Login OTP
  • Registration Updates
  • Certificate Emails
Variable Required Description
SMTP_HOST Yes SMTP server host
SMTP_PORT Yes SMTP server port
SMTP_USER Yes SMTP username
SMTP_PASSWORD Yes SMTP password
FROM_EMAIL Yes Sender email address
FROM_NAME Yes Sender display name

Example

SMTP_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
SMTP_PORT=2525
SMTP_USER=your_username
SMTP_PASSWORD=your_password

FROM_EMAIL=noreply@codex.com
FROM_NAME="CodeX Team"

Default Administrator

These values are used only during the initial admin seeding process.

Variable Required Description
ADMIN_USERNAME No Initial administrator username
ADMIN_PASSWORD No Initial administrator password

Example

ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin123

Note

These variables are only used when creating the first administrator account.

Frontend Configuration

Used when generating links that point to the frontend application.

Examples include:

  • Certificate Verification
  • Email Links
Variable Required Description
FRONTEND_URL Yes Frontend application URL

Example

FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173

Cloudflare Turnstile

Cloudflare Turnstile protects public forms from automated bots.

Currently used for:

  • Student Registration (/api/v1/students/register)
  • Contact Inquiries (/api/v1/contact)
Variable Required Description
TURNSTILE_SECRET Yes Cloudflare Turnstile secret key
TURNSTILE_HOSTNAMES No Comma-separated list of allowed hostnames (e.g. qucodex.com,api.qucodex.com)

Example

TURNSTILE_SECRET=0x4AAAAAAD5...
TURNSTILE_HOSTNAMES=qucodex.com,api.qucodex.com

Complete Example

# Server
NODE_ENV=development
PORT=5000
SERVER_URL=http://localhost:5000
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/codex

# JWT
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your-super-secret-access-token-key
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY=10d

# Cloudinary
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

# SMTP
SMTP_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
SMTP_PORT=2525
SMTP_USER=your_smtp_user
SMTP_PASSWORD=your_smtp_password
FROM_EMAIL=noreply@codex.com
FROM_NAME="CodeX Team"

# Admin
ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin123

# Frontend
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173

# Turnstile
TURNSTILE_SECRET_KEY=your_turnstile_secret

Best Practices

  • Never commit the .env file to Git.
  • Commit only the .env.example file.
  • Use strong, randomly generated JWT secrets.
  • Rotate secrets periodically.
  • Store production credentials securely.
  • Use different credentials for development and production.
  • Keep API keys and passwords private.

Production Checklist

Before deploying, verify the following:

  • All required environment variables are configured.
  • MongoDB connection string is correct.
  • JWT secret is secure.
  • Cloudinary credentials are valid.
  • SMTP credentials can send emails.
  • Frontend URL points to the production frontend.
  • CORS origin is restricted to trusted domains.

Related Documentation

Document Description
getting-started.md Local project setup
authentication.md JWT and authentication flow
deployment.md Production deployment guide
security.md Security recommendations