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This guide walks you through running DocuSphere on your local machine for the first time. By the end, you will have all three services configured, both dev servers running, and a working document you can open in your browser.
1

Clone the repository and install dependencies

Clone the DocuSphere repository and install its Node.js dependencies.
git clone https://github.com/Pragyat-Nikunj/DocuSphere.git
cd DocuSphere
Then install dependencies with your preferred package manager:
npm install
2

Set up Convex

DocuSphere uses Convex as its backend — it stores documents and serves real-time queries.
  1. Create a free account at convex.dev.
  2. Create a new project from the Convex dashboard.
  3. Copy your Deployment name (shown as dev:your-deployment) and your Convex URL (e.g. https://your-deployment.convex.cloud).
You will use these values as CONVEX_DEPLOYMENT and NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL in the next step.
3

Set up Clerk authentication

DocuSphere uses Clerk for user sign-in and organization management.
  1. Create a free account at clerk.com.
  2. Create a new application in the Clerk dashboard.
  3. From the API Keys section, copy:
    • Your Publishable key (starts with pk_test_)
    • Your Secret key (starts with sk_test_)
  4. From JWT Templates, note your Issuer domain (e.g. https://your-domain.clerk.accounts.dev). This is your CLERK_JWT_ISSUER_DOMAIN.
4

Set up Liveblocks

DocuSphere uses Liveblocks to power real-time presence, cursors, and room sync.
  1. Create a free account at liveblocks.io.
  2. Create a new project from the Liveblocks dashboard.
  3. Copy your Secret key from the API keys section (starts with sk_dev_).
This value is used as NEXT_PUBLIC_LIVEBLOCKS_SECRET_KEY. Despite the NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix in the variable name, this key is only read in the server-side /api/liveblocks-auth route — it is never sent to the browser.
5

Create your .env.local file

Create a .env.local file in the root of the repository and fill in the values you collected in the previous steps:
.env.local
# Convex
CONVEX_DEPLOYMENT=dev:your-convex-deployment
NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL=https://your-convex-url.convex.cloud
NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_SITE_URL=https://your-convex-url.convex.site

# Clerk (Authentication)
CLERK_JWT_ISSUER_DOMAIN=https://your-clerk-domain.clerk.accounts.dev
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_your_clerk_publishable_key
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_your_clerk_secret_key

# Liveblocks (Collaboration)
NEXT_PUBLIC_LIVEBLOCKS_SECRET_KEY=sk_dev_your_liveblocks_secret_key
Replace each placeholder value with the real credentials from the Convex, Clerk, and Liveblocks dashboards.
6

Start the dev servers

DocuSphere requires two servers running at the same time: the Convex backend and the Next.js frontend.In your first terminal, start the Convex dev server:
npx convex dev
In a second terminal, start the Next.js dev server:
npm run dev
Both servers must be running simultaneously. The Next.js app connects to Convex at runtime — if Convex is not running, document queries and mutations will fail.
7

Open the app and create your first document

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
  1. Sign in using the Clerk authentication flow.
  2. On the home screen, choose a template from the gallery or start from a blank document.
  3. Your document is created and saved automatically. Share the URL with another browser tab or another user to see real-time collaboration in action.

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