Skip to main content

​
Prerequisites

Before setting up the backend, ensure you have the following installed:
1

Node.js

Install Node.js (version 18 or higher recommended). The backend uses ES modules and modern JavaScript features.
2

MongoDB

You’ll need a MongoDB database. You can use:
  • MongoDB Atlas (cloud)
  • Local MongoDB installation
3

Package Manager

npm comes with Node.js. This project uses npm for dependency management.

​
Installation

​
Clone and Install Dependencies

cd backend
npm install
This will install all required dependencies including:
  • Express - Web framework
  • Mongoose - MongoDB object modeling
  • @clerk/express - Authentication
  • Cloudinary - Image upload management
  • Stripe - Payment processing
  • Inngest - Event-driven functions
  • CORS - Cross-origin resource sharing
The backend uses ES modules ("type": "module" in package.json), so all imports use the import syntax instead of require.

​
Project Structure

The backend follows a modular architecture: 
src/
├── config/          # Configuration files
│   ├── db.js        # MongoDB connection
│   ├── env.js       # Environment variables
│   ├── cloudinary.js # Cloudinary setup
│   └── inngest.js   # Inngest functions
├── controllers/     # Request handlers
│   ├── admin.controller.js
│   ├── cart.controller.js
│   ├── coupon.controller.js
│   ├── order.controller.js
│   ├── payment.controller.js
│   ├── product.controller.js
│   ├── review.controller.js
│   └── user.controller.js
├── middleware/      # Custom middleware
│   ├── auth.middleware.js
│   └── multer.middleware.js
├── models/          # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── cart.model.js
│   ├── coupon.model.js
│   ├── order.model.js
│   ├── product.model.js
│   ├── review.model.js
│   └── user.model.js
├── routes/          # API routes
│   ├── admin.routes.js
│   ├── cart.routes.js
│   ├── coupon.routes.js
│   ├── order.routes.js
│   ├── payment.routes.js
│   ├── product.routes.js
│   ├── review.routes.js
│   └── user.routes.js
├── seeds/           # Database seeding
│   └── index.js
├── services/        # Business logic
└── server.js        # Application entry point

​
Development Server

​
Start the Server

npm run dev
This uses nodemon to watch for file changes in the src directory and automatically restart the server. 
npm run dev:all
The dev:all command runs both the main server and Inngest dev server concurrently using the concurrently package.

​
Server Output

When the server starts successfully, you’ll see: 
✅ Connected to MongoDB: cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net
🚀 Server is up and running!
💻 Local:        http://localhost:3000
📱 Network:      http://192.168.40.137:3000
🌍 Environment:  development

​
Available Scripts

From package.json:
ScriptCommandDescription
npm run devnodemon src/server.jsStart development server with auto-reload
npm run inngestnpx inngest-cli@latest dev -u http://localhost:3000/api/inngestStart Inngest dev server
npm run dev:allconcurrently "npm run dev" "npm run inngest"Run both servers simultaneously
npm run seed:productsnode src/seeds/index.jsSeed the database with products

​
Seeding the Database

To populate your database with initial product data: 
npm run seed:products
This will:
  1. Connect to MongoDB
  2. Clear existing products
  3. Insert 15 products across categories:
    • Palitos Premium
    • Palitos Cocteleros
    • Dulces
    • Especiales
    • Nuevos
The seed command deletes all existing products before inserting new ones. Use with caution in production.

​
API Endpoints

Once running, the API is available at http://localhost:3000

​
Core Endpoints

  • GET / - API health check
  • GET /api/health - Health status endpoint
  • POST /api/webhooks/clerk - Clerk authentication webhooks
  • /api/inngest - Inngest event endpoint

​
Resource Endpoints

  • /api/admin - Admin operations
  • /api/users - User management
  • /api/products - Product catalog
  • /api/cart - Shopping cart
  • /api/orders - Order processing
  • /api/payment - Stripe payments
  • /api/coupons - Discount coupons
  • /api/reviews - Product reviews

​
Next Steps

Configuration

Set up environment variables and third-party services

Database

Learn about MongoDB models and schemas

Authentication

Configure Clerk authentication and protected routes
For mobile app development, the server listens on 0.0.0.0 to be accessible from Android emulators and physical devices on your network.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us