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Environment Variables

Complete list of environment variables required for the backend API.

Required Variables​

Database​

DB_URL="postgresql://user:password@host:port/database"

PostgreSQL connection string.

Server Configuration​

PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development  # or 'production'

JWT Authentication​

JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-here

Used for signing and verifying JWT tokens.

AWS S3 Configuration​

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-aws-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-aws-secret-key
AWS_REGION=af-south-1
AWS_S3_BUCKET=theplugg-storage

Used for file uploads (profile photos, documents, etc.).

BulkSMS Configuration​

BULKSMS_TOKEN_ID=your-token-id
BULKSMS_TOKEN_SECRET=your-token-secret
BULKSMS_BASIC_AUTH=Authorization: Basic base64encoded

Used for sending SMS messages (OTP codes, notifications).

OneSignal Configuration​

ONESIGNAL_APP_ID=your-onesignal-app-id
ONESIGNAL_API_KEY=your-onesignal-api-key

Used for push notifications.

CORS Configuration​

CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3001,http://localhost:4000,https://thepluggnamibia.com

Comma-separated list of allowed origins for CORS.

API Key (Admin Routes)​

API_KEY=your-secure-admin-api-key

Used to authenticate admin API requests.

Optional Variables​

Database Connection Pool (Prisma)​

If not specified, Prisma uses defaults:

  • Connection limit: number of CPU cores + 1
  • Connection timeout: 10 seconds

Security Notes​

  • Never commit .env files to version control
  • Use different secrets for development and production
  • Rotate secrets regularly
  • Use strong, random values for JWT_SECRET and API_KEY