Skip to main content
The backend application uses environment variables for configuration. All variables should be defined in a .env file in the backend/ directory.

​
Database Configuration

​
DATABASE_URL
string
required
PostgreSQL database connection URL.Format: postgresql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT/DATABASEExample: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/portfolio

​
Email Service

​
RESEND_API_KEY
string
required
API key for the Resend email service used to send contact form emails.Obtain your API key at: https://resend.com/api-keysFormat: re_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Never commit your actual RESEND_API_KEY to version control. Always use .env files and add them to .gitignore.

​
Authentication

​
ADMIN_PASSWORD
string
required
Admin password for accessing email preview endpoints.
Use a strong, unique password. This password protects access to email template previews.
​
JWT_SECRET
string
required
Secret key used for signing JWT tokens for authentication.Generate a secure secret:
node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(64).toString('hex'))"
This secret must be kept confidential and should be a cryptographically random string. Never expose it in client-side code or public repositories.

​
Server Configuration

​
PORT
number
default:"3001"
The port number on which the backend server will listen.Default: 3001
​
NODE_ENV
string
default:"development"
Application environment mode.Values:
  • development - Uses .env file
  • production - Uses .env.production file
Default: development

​
Environment File Setup

The application loads different environment files based on NODE_ENV:
  • Development: Loads .env
  • Production: Loads .env.production
Refer to backend/.env.example for a template of all required variables.
Always add .env and .env.production to your .gitignore file to prevent sensitive credentials from being committed to version control.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us