Skip to main content

​
Overview

CEMAC uses environment variables to configure Firebase integration and server settings. These variables must be set before running the application in both development and production environments.

​
Required Variables

Never commit your .env file to version control. Always keep your Firebase credentials secure and use environment-specific values.

​
Server Configuration

​
PORT
number
default:"3000"
The port number on which the CEMAC server will listen for incoming requests.Example: 3000

​
Firebase Configuration

CEMAC integrates with Firebase for authentication and database services. The following variables are required to connect to your Firebase project:
​
FIREBASE_API_KEY
string
required
Your Firebase project’s API key. This is used to authenticate requests to Firebase services.Location: Firebase Console > Project Settings > General > Your apps > Web appExample: AIzaSyC1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
​
FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN
string
required
The authentication domain for your Firebase project.Format: {project-id}.firebaseapp.comExample: cemac-prod.firebaseapp.com
​
FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID
string
required
Your Firebase project’s unique identifier.Location: Firebase Console > Project Settings > General > Project IDExample: cemac-prod
​
FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET
string
required
The Cloud Storage bucket for your Firebase project.Format: {project-id}.appspot.comExample: cemac-prod.appspot.com
​
FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID
string
required
The sender ID for Firebase Cloud Messaging.Location: Firebase Console > Project Settings > Cloud Messaging > Sender IDExample: 123456789012
​
FIREBASE_APP_ID
string
required
Your Firebase web app’s unique identifier.Location: Firebase Console > Project Settings > General > Your apps > App IDExample: 1:123456789012:web:abcdef1234567890

​
Setup Instructions

1

Create .env file

Create a .env file in the root directory of your project:
touch .env
2

Add environment variables

Copy the following template and replace the placeholder values with your actual Firebase credentials:
PORT=3000
FIREBASE_API_KEY=your_api_key
FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=your_auth_domain
FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=your_storage_bucket
FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=your_messaging_sender_id
FIREBASE_APP_ID=your_app_id
3

Verify configuration

Ensure the .env file is listed in your .gitignore to prevent accidental commits:
cat .gitignore | grep .env
If not present, add it:
echo ".env" >> .gitignore
4

Test the configuration

Start the development server to verify the environment variables are loaded correctly:
npm run dev
The server should start without errors and display:
🚀 Servidor CEMAC corriendo en: http://localhost:3000

​
Production Environment

For production deployments (e.g., Vercel), set environment variables through your hosting platform’s dashboard:
1

Access environment settings

Navigate to your project settings in your hosting platform.
2

Add variables

Add each environment variable as a key-value pair. Ensure you select the appropriate environment (Production, Preview, Development).
3

Redeploy

Trigger a new deployment to apply the environment variables.
Use different Firebase projects for development and production to prevent data conflicts and ensure security isolation.

​
Validation

You can verify your environment configuration by checking the server logs when the application starts: 
npm start
Look for successful initialization messages. If Firebase credentials are incorrect, you’ll see authentication errors in the console.

​
Troubleshooting

​
Server won’t start

  • Verify all required variables are set in .env
  • Check for typos in variable names (they are case-sensitive)
  • Ensure no extra spaces around = signs in .env

​
Firebase authentication fails

  • Verify your Firebase API key is correct
  • Check that your Firebase project is active
  • Ensure the auth domain matches your Firebase project

​
Port already in use

  • Change the PORT value to an available port
  • Or stop the process using the current port: 
    lsof -ti:3000 | xargs kill

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us