Anony

Anonymous real-time chat app built with React, Express, Socket.IO, and MongoDB Atlas.

The frontend and backend are meant to run together from the Express server. In deployment, use the app on https://anonymous-chatting-website.onrender.com/ so room creation, messaging, uploads, and sockets all use the same origin.

Stack

• React + Vite
• Express
• Socket.IO
• MongoDB Atlas with Mongoose
• Multer for file uploads

Features

• Create chat rooms
• Join existing rooms
• Send real-time text messages
• Upload and share files
• Persist rooms and messages in MongoDB
• Health endpoint for app and database status

Project Structure

.
├─ dist/               Production frontend build served by Express
├─ uploads/            Uploaded files
├─ server.cjs          Express + Socket.IO + MongoDB backend
├─ connect.cjs         MongoDB connectivity check script
├─ index.html          Vite entry HTML
├─ main.js             Frontend source entry used by the build pipeline
└─ .env                Local environment variables

Prerequisites

• Node.js installed
• A MongoDB Atlas cluster
• A MongoDB Atlas database user
• Your current machine IP added to Atlas Network Access

Environment Setup

Create a .env file in the project root:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster0.example.mongodb.net/anonymouschat?retryWrites=true&w=majority
DB_NAME=anonymouschat
PORT=5000

Notes:

• MONGODB_URI should be your Atlas connection string.
• DB_NAME is the database name used by the app.
• PORT=5000 is the recommended local app port.
• The server also supports ATLAS_URI or ATLAS URI, but MONGODB_URI is preferred.

Install

npm install

Run Locally

Start the full app:

npm start

Then open:

https://anonymous-chatting-website.onrender.com/

Important:

• Use 5000, not the Vite preview URL, for full app testing.
• The backend serves the built frontend and all API routes from the same origin.

Available Scripts

• npm start runs the Express server and serves the app
• npm run dev starts the Vite dev server
• npm run build builds the frontend into dist
• npm run preview previews the built frontend only
• node connect.cjs checks MongoDB connectivity

Health Check

The backend exposes:

GET /api/health

Example successful response:

{
  "ok": true,
  "app": "anony",
  "database": {
    "status": "connected",
    "databaseName": "anonymouschat",
    "source": "MONGODB_URI",
    "lastConnectedAt": "2026-05-21T09:57:42.986Z",
    "retryAt": null,
    "error": null
  }
}

API Overview

Rooms

• GET /api/rooms list room codes
• POST /api/rooms create a room

Example request:

{
  "code": "my-room"
}

Messages

• GET /api/rooms/:code/messages get room messages
• POST /api/rooms/:code/messages create a text or file message

Uploads

• POST /api/upload upload a file
• Uploaded files are served from /uploads/...

MongoDB Troubleshooting

If room creation fails, check these first:

1. Run node connect.cjs to verify Atlas connectivity.
2. Confirm your current IP is allowed in Atlas Network Access.
3. Confirm the username and password inside MONGODB_URI.
4. Make sure the cluster is active and not paused.
5. Open https://anonymous-chatting-website.onrender.com/api/health and inspect the database object.

If Atlas is unreachable, the server now stays up and reports database status clearly instead of crashing immediately.

Local Workflow

Recommended local workflow:

1. Update .env with a valid Atlas URI.
2. Run node connect.cjs.
3. Start the app with npm start.
4. Open https://anonymous-chatting-website.onrender.com/.
5. Create a room and test messaging.

Deployment Notes

The repo includes a render.yaml setup. For deployment:

• Set MONGODB_URI in the hosting provider environment variables
• Set DB_NAME
• Use npm start as the start command
• Point the health check to /api/health