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SolBid uses environment variables to configure the Next.js application and WebSocket server. This guide covers all required and optional environment variables for local development and production.

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Next.js app environment variables

Create a .env file in the next-app/ directory with the following variables:

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Database

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/solbid"
PostgreSQL connection string used by Prisma. Format: 
postgresql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:PORT/DATABASE
For local development, you can use a local PostgreSQL instance. For production, use a managed database service like Supabase or Neon.

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Authentication

NEXTAUTH_SECRET="your-nextauth-secret-key"
NEXTAUTH_URL="http://localhost:3000"
Secret key used by NextAuth.js for encrypting tokens and session data. Generate a secure random string:
openssl rand -base64 32
The canonical URL of your site. For local development, use http://localhost:3000. For production, use your deployed URL.

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OAuth providers

GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="your-google-client-id"
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-google-client-secret"
Google OAuth credentials for social authentication. Get these from the Google Cloud Console.
1

Create OAuth credentials

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project or select an existing one
  3. Enable the Google+ API
  4. Go to Credentials → Create Credentials → OAuth client ID
2

Configure authorized URLs

Add these authorized redirect URIs:
  • Local: http://localhost:3000/api/auth/callback/google
  • Production: https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/callback/google

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Email service

EMAIL_SERVER="smtp.example.com"
EMAIL_PORT="587"
EMAIL_USER="[email protected]"
EMAIL_PASSWORD="your-email-password"
EMAIL_FROM="[email protected]"
SMTP configuration for sending OTP emails and notifications. You can use services like:
  • Gmail (requires app-specific password)
  • SendGrid
  • AWS SES
  • Mailgun
If using Gmail, enable 2FA and create an app-specific password.

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Cloudinary (image uploads)

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="your-cloud-name"
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY="your-api-key"
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"
Cloudinary credentials for user profile image uploads. Sign up at cloudinary.com to get these credentials.

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WebSocket connection

NEXT_PUBLIC_WSS_URL="ws://localhost:8080"
WebSocket server URL for real-time game updates. The NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix makes this variable available in the browser. 
NEXT_PUBLIC_WSS_URL="ws://localhost:8080"

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JWT secret (shared)

NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET="your-jwt-secret-key"
Shared secret for JWT token verification between the Next.js app and WebSocket server.
This secret must be identical in both the Next.js app and WebSocket server .env files.

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WebSocket server environment variables

Create a .env file in the ws/ directory: 
PORT="8080"
NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET="your-jwt-secret-key"

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PORT

Port number for the WebSocket server. Default is 8080.

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NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET

JWT secret for verifying tokens from the Next.js app. Must match the NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET in the Next.js .env file.

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Example configuration files

# Database
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/solbid"

# NextAuth
NEXTAUTH_SECRET="your-generated-secret-key-here"
NEXTAUTH_URL="http://localhost:3000"

# Google OAuth
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="123456789-abcdefg.apps.googleusercontent.com"
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET="GOCSPX-abcdefghijklmnop"

# Email (Gmail example)
EMAIL_SERVER="smtp.gmail.com"
EMAIL_PORT="587"
EMAIL_USER="[email protected]"
EMAIL_PASSWORD="your-app-specific-password"
EMAIL_FROM="[email protected]"

# Cloudinary
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="your-cloud-name"
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY="123456789012345"
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET="abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"

# WebSocket
NEXT_PUBLIC_WSS_URL="ws://localhost:8080"

# JWT Secret (shared with WS server)
NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET="your-shared-jwt-secret"

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Environment-specific configurations

For local development:
  • Use http://localhost:3000 for the Next.js app
  • Use ws://localhost:8080 for WebSocket connections
  • Use a local PostgreSQL database
  • Use local Redis instance
For production deployment:
  • Use HTTPS URLs for the Next.js app
  • Use WSS (secure WebSocket) URLs
  • Use managed database services (Supabase, Neon, etc.)
  • Use managed Redis services (Upstash, Redis Cloud, etc.)
  • Generate strong, unique secrets for all keys

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Security best practices

Never commit .env files to version control. The .gitignore file is already configured to exclude them.
  • Generate strong random secrets for NEXTAUTH_SECRET and NEXT_PUBLIC_SECRET
  • Use different secrets for development and production
  • Rotate secrets regularly in production
  • Use environment variable management tools (Vercel, AWS Systems Manager, etc.) in production
  • Limit OAuth redirect URIs to your actual domains
  • Use read-only database credentials where possible

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Verifying configuration

After setting up your environment variables:
1

Check database connection

cd next-app
npx prisma db pull
This should connect successfully if DATABASE_URL is correct.
2

Test the Next.js app

pnpm run dev
Check the console for any missing environment variable warnings.
3

Test the WebSocket server

cd ws
pnpm run dev
The server should start without errors.

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Next steps

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