ConvoX

ConvoX is a modern, production-ready, real-time chat application powered by an integrated AI assistant. Built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) and utilizing WebSockets for real-time communication, ConvoX blends the traditional messaging experience with advanced AI capabilities.

🚀 Features

Core Functionality

• Real-Time Messaging: Instant text communication between users utilizing Socket.io.
• AI Chat Assistant: Integrated intelligent assistant powered by Groq/OpenAI APIs to help answer questions, draft messages, and provide insights directly within the chat interface.
• User Authentication: Secure signup and login flow using JWT (JSON Web Tokens) and bcrypt for password hashing.
• Responsive UI: A beautiful, modern interface built with React, Tailwind CSS, and DaisyUI that works seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices.
• State Management: Fast and predictable global state management utilizing Zustand.

Security

• HttpOnly Cookies for storing auth tokens to prevent XSS attacks.
• Robust password encryption.
• Protected API routes and authenticated socket connections.

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend (Client)

• Framework: React 19 with Vite
• Styling: Tailwind CSS & DaisyUI
• State Management: Zustand
• Routing: React Router DOM
• Icons: Lucide React
• Real-time: Socket.io-client

Backend (Server)

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
• Authentication: JSON Web Tokens (JWT) & bcryptjs
• Real-time: Socket.io
• AI Integration: OpenAI SDK (configured for Groq API)

📂 Project Structure

The project is structured into a standard monorepo format separating the client and server layers:

ConvoX/
├── client/          # React frontend application
│   ├── src/         # UI components, pages, styling, and Zustand store
│   ├── package.json # Frontend dependencies
│   └── vite.config.js
└── server/          # Node.js + Express backend
    ├── models/      # MongoDB database schemas
    ├── controllers/ # Route logic and business functionality
    ├── routes/      # Express API route definitions
    ├── lib/         # Utility functions (db connection, socket initialization)
    └── server.js    # Entry point for the backend application

⚙️ Installation & Local Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher recommended)
• MongoDB (Local instance or MongoDB Atlas cluster URI)
• Groq or OpenAI API Key (for the AI assistant)

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/asutosh-das/ConvoX.git
cd ConvoX

2. Setup the Backend

Navigate to the server directory and install dependencies:

cd server
npm install

Create a .env file in the server directory with the following variables:

PORT=5001
MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_or_openai_api_key
NODE_ENV=development

Start the backend development server:

npm run dev

3. Setup the Frontend

Open a new terminal, navigate to the client directory, and install dependencies:

cd client
npm install

(Optional) Create a .env file in the client directory if you need to specify custom API URLs (depending on your Vite configuration).

Start the frontend development server:

npm run dev

The app should now be running at http://localhost:5173 (or the port specified by Vite).

💡 How the AI Assistant Works

ConvoX leverages a seamless API integration to inject intelligent responses into standard real-time chats or dedicated bot-interaction channels. The backend securely manages the API keys (using openai node package pointing to Groq's high-speed inference endpoints), ensuring that sensitive credentials are never exposed to the client.

🌍 Deployment

You can deploy ConvoX for free using standard cloud platforms. The recommended approach is separating the Frontend and Backend.

1. Backend (Server) -> Deploy to Render or Railway

• Create a new Web Service on Render or Railway.
• Set the root directory to server.
• Use the Build Command: npm install
• Use the Start Command: npm start (Make sure your server/package.json has "start": "node server.js").
• Add all your Environment Variables (MONGODB_URI, JWT_SECRET, GROQ_API_KEY) exactly as they are in your local .env.

2. Frontend (Client) -> Deploy to Vercel or Netlify

• Create a new project on Vercel or Netlify.
• Set the Root Directory to client.
• The Framework preset should auto-detect Vite (Build command: npm run build, Output directory: dist).
• Important: Add an environment variable (e.g., VITE_API_URL or whatever your frontend uses to connect to the backend) and point it to your deployed Backend URL from Step 1!

📄 License

This project is open-source and available for use and modification.