Configuration Guide

Detailed configuration options for AI content reporpuser.

Backend Configuration
Frontend Configuration
AI Provider Setup
Firebase Configuration
Environment Variables Reference

Backend Configuration

Environment File (.env)

The backend uses environment variables for configuration. Create a .env file in the backend/ directory:

# ==============================================
# AI PROVIDER CONFIGURATION
# ==============================================

# Your OpenAI API Key (required)
# Get it from: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# AI Provider to use (default: openai)
# Options: openai, anthropic, gemini
AI_PROVIDER=openai

# AI Model to use
# OpenAI options: gpt-4-turbo-preview, gpt-4, gpt-3.5-turbo
# Anthropic options: claude-3-opus, claude-3-sonnet
AI_MODEL=gpt-4-turbo-preview

# ==============================================
# SERVER CONFIGURATION
# ==============================================

# Port for backend server (default: 3000)
PORT=3000

# Node environment
# Options: development, production
NODE_ENV=development

# ==============================================
# FIREBASE CONFIGURATION (Optional)
# ==============================================

# Path to Firebase service account JSON file
FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH=serviceAccountKey.json

# Firebase Database URL
# Format: https://YOUR-PROJECT-ID.firebaseio.com
FIREBASE_DATABASE_URL=https://your-project.firebaseio.com

# Firebase Storage Bucket
# Format: YOUR-PROJECT-ID.appspot.com
FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=your-project.appspot.com

# ==============================================
# CORS CONFIGURATION
# ==============================================

# Allowed origins for CORS (comma-separated)
# Use * for development, specific URLs for production
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:*,http://127.0.0.1:*

# ==============================================
# LOGGING CONFIGURATION
# ==============================================

# Log level: error, warn, info, debug
LOG_LEVEL=info

# Enable file logging (true/false)
LOG_TO_FILE=false

# ==============================================
# RATE LIMITING (Optional)
# ==============================================

# Maximum requests per 15 minutes per IP
RATE_LIMIT_MAX=100

# Rate limit window in milliseconds
RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW=900000

# ==============================================
# CONTENT INGESTION
# ==============================================

# Maximum content length for URL ingestion (characters)
MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH=50000

# Timeout for URL fetching (milliseconds)
URL_FETCH_TIMEOUT=10000

Configuration Validation

The backend validates configuration on startup. Check logs for:

✓ OpenAI API key configured
✓ Admin SDK initialized successfully
✓ Server running on port 3000

If you see warnings:

⚠ Service account not configured. Firebase features disabled.

This is normal if you haven't set up Firebase yet.

Frontend Configuration

Application Settings

The frontend uses SharedPreferences for persistent settings. Configure these in-app:

Open the app
Click Settings (gear icon)
Configure options:

Backend Configuration

API URL: http://localhost:3000 (or your server URL)
Click Test Connection to verify

Default Settings

Default Tone: Professional, Casual, Friendly, etc.
Default Platforms: Pre-select platforms for quick generation

Content Rules

Show character limit warnings: Enable/disable warnings
Enable hashtags: Include hashtags in generated content

History & Privacy

Save generation history: Store generations locally

Appearance

Dark mode: Toggle light/dark theme

Manual Configuration (Advanced)

Edit configuration in code if needed:

lib/constants/app_constants.dart

class AppConstants {
  static const String defaultApiUrl = 'http://localhost:3000';
  static const int requestTimeout = 60; // seconds

  // Add custom platforms
  static final List<PlatformInfo> platforms = [
    // ... existing platforms
  ];
}

AI Provider Setup

OpenAI Setup

Create Account: platform.openai.com
Get API Key: Go to API Keys section
Set Usage Limits: Optional but recommended
Configure in .env:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
AI_PROVIDER=openai
AI_MODEL=gpt-4-turbo-preview

Model Options

gpt-4-turbo-preview: Best quality, slower, more expensive
gpt-4: High quality, good balance
gpt-3.5-turbo: Fast, cost-effective, good quality

Alternative Providers (Future)

The system is designed to support multiple providers:

Anthropic (Claude)

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key
AI_PROVIDER=anthropic
AI_MODEL=claude-3-opus

Google Gemini

GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_key
AI_PROVIDER=gemini
AI_MODEL=gemini-pro

Note: Provider implementations may require code updates.

Firebase Configuration

Firestore Collections Structure

The app uses these collections:

firestore/
├── settings/
│   └── preferences (doc)
│       ├── defaultTone: string
│       ├── defaultPlatforms: array
│       └── updatedAt: timestamp
│
├── generations/
│   └── [auto-id] (doc)
│       ├── content: string
│       ├── platforms: array
│       ├── results: map
│       ├── parameters: map
│       └── createdAt: timestamp
│
└── analytics/
    └── usage (doc)
        ├── totalGenerations: number
        ├── platformCounts: map
        └── updatedAt: timestamp

Security Rules

For production, use server-side only access:

rules_version = '2';
service cloud.firestore {
  match /databases/{database}/documents {
    // Block all client access
    match /{document=**} {
      allow read, write: if false;
    }
  }
}

The backend uses Firebase Admin SDK with full privileges.

Indexes

For optimal performance, create these indexes:

generations collection:

Field: createdAt (Descending)
Used for: History queries

Create via Firebase Console → Firestore → Indexes

Environment Variables Reference

Required Variables

Variable	Description	Example	Required
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI API key	`sk-proj-xxxxx`	✅ Yes
`PORT`	Server port	`3000`	❌ No (default: 3000)

Optional Variables

Variable	Description	Example	Default
`AI_PROVIDER`	AI provider name	`openai`	`openai`
`AI_MODEL`	Model to use	`gpt-4-turbo-preview`	`gpt-3.5-turbo`
`NODE_ENV`	Environment	`production`	`development`
`FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH`	Firebase key path	`serviceAccountKey.json`	-
`FIREBASE_DATABASE_URL`	Firebase DB URL	`https://...firebaseio.com`	-
`FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET`	Firebase bucket	`project.appspot.com`	-
`ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	CORS origins	`http://localhost:*`	`*`
`LOG_LEVEL`	Logging level	`info`	`info`
`RATE_LIMIT_MAX`	Rate limit	`100`	No limit
`MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH`	Max content chars	`50000`	`100000`
`URL_FETCH_TIMEOUT`	URL timeout (ms)	`10000`	`30000`

Loading Order

Environment variables are loaded in this order (later overrides earlier):

System environment variables
.env file in backend directory
.env.local file (if exists, git-ignored)

Validation

Required variables are validated on startup. The app will log warnings or exit if critical variables are missing.

Check validation with:

npm start

Look for:

✓ All required environment variables configured

Production Configuration

Security Checklist

Remove development origins from ALLOWED_ORIGINS
Set NODE_ENV=production
Use strong API keys (regenerate from provider)
Set appropriate rate limits
Enable HTTPS on frontend
Restrict Firebase rules
Set up monitoring/logging
Configure backup for Firebase
Use environment-specific .env files

Production .env Example

# Production Configuration
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-production-key-xxxxx
AI_PROVIDER=openai
AI_MODEL=gpt-4-turbo-preview
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=production

# Firebase
FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH=/secure/path/serviceAccount.json
FIREBASE_DATABASE_URL=https://prod-project.firebaseio.com
FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=prod-project.appspot.com

# Security
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=https://yourdomain.com,https://app.yourdomain.com

# Performance
RATE_LIMIT_MAX=1000
LOG_LEVEL=warn
LOG_TO_FILE=true

Environment-Specific Files

Use different files for different environments:

.env              # Default configuration
.env.development  # Development overrides
.env.production   # Production overrides
.env.local        # Local overrides (git-ignored)

Load with:

NODE_ENV=production node dist/index.js

Troubleshooting Configuration

Backend Won't Start

Check .env file exists
Verify OPENAI_API_KEY is set
Check port availability: lsof -i :3000
Review logs for specific errors

Firebase Not Working

Verify serviceAccountKey.json exists
Check file permissions
Validate JSON format
Confirm Firebase project is active

Frontend Can't Connect

Verify backend is running
Check API URL in Settings
Test connection button
Check CORS settings in backend

API Key Invalid

Regenerate key from provider
Check for extra spaces in .env
Verify key has correct permissions
Check billing/quota status

Next Steps

✅ Configuration complete
📖 Continue to User Guide
🚀 Or see Deployment Guide

Need Help? Check the Troubleshooting Guide

Table of Contents​

Backend Configuration​

Environment File (.env)​

Configuration Validation​

Frontend Configuration​

Application Settings​

Backend Configuration​

Default Settings​

Content Rules​

History & Privacy​

Appearance​

Manual Configuration (Advanced)​

AI Provider Setup​

OpenAI Setup​

Model Options​

Alternative Providers (Future)​

Anthropic (Claude)​

Google Gemini​

Firebase Configuration​

Firestore Collections Structure​

Security Rules​

Indexes​

Environment Variables Reference​

Required Variables​

Optional Variables​

Loading Order​

Validation​

Production Configuration​

Security Checklist​

Production .env Example​

Environment-Specific Files​

Troubleshooting Configuration​

Backend Won't Start​

Firebase Not Working​

Frontend Can't Connect​

API Key Invalid​

Next Steps​

Table of Contents

Backend Configuration

Environment File (.env)

Configuration Validation

Frontend Configuration

Application Settings

Backend Configuration

Default Settings

Content Rules

History & Privacy

Appearance

Manual Configuration (Advanced)

AI Provider Setup

OpenAI Setup

Model Options

Alternative Providers (Future)

Anthropic (Claude)

Google Gemini

Firebase Configuration

Firestore Collections Structure

Security Rules

Indexes

Environment Variables Reference

Required Variables

Optional Variables

Loading Order

Validation

Production Configuration

Security Checklist

Production .env Example

Environment-Specific Files

Troubleshooting Configuration

Backend Won't Start

Firebase Not Working

Frontend Can't Connect

API Key Invalid

Next Steps