Fixly - Service Marketplace Platform

Overview

Fixly is a modern service marketplace platform that connects customers with verified service providers.

Business Process Overview

Core Business Model

Fixly operates as a two-sided marketplace where customers can discover, book, and pay for various services from verified service providers. The platform generates revenue through service commissions (10-15% on each successful booking).

Key Business Processes

1. User Registration & Authentication

• Users can register as customers or service providers
• Secure authentication with JWT tokens and cookie sessions
• Password reset functionality via email verification
• Role-based access control (Customer, Provider, Admin)

2. Service Category Management

• Admins can create, edit, and delete service categories
• Categories help organize services for easier discovery
• Each category can have a name, description, and associated image

3. Service Provider Onboarding

• Service providers can create detailed profiles
• Providers can list their services with descriptions, pricing, and availability
• Profile verification process to ensure quality and trust

4. Service Discovery & Booking

• Customers can browse and search for services by category, price, rating, or location
• Detailed service listings with descriptions, images, and provider information
• Booking system with date/time selection and special instructions
• Real-time availability checking to prevent double bookings

5. Payment Processing

• Secure payment gateway integration for processing bookings
• Automatic commission calculation and deduction
• Support for major payment methods
• Payment status tracking and history

6. Review & Rating System

• Customers can rate services (1-5 stars) after completion
• Detailed review functionality with text feedback
• Average ratings displayed on service listings
• Review moderation capabilities for admins

7. Admin Platform Management

• User account management and monitoring
• Service listing approval and quality control
• Commission tracking and financial reporting
• Dispute resolution and customer support
• Platform analytics and business intelligence dashboard

Tech Stack

Backend

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) with secure cookie sessions
• Image Management: Cloudinary for cloud-based image storage and processing
• Email Service: Nodemailer for transactional emails
• Middleware:
  • bcryptjs for password hashing
  • cookie-parser for cookie management
  • cors for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing
  • morgan for HTTP request logging
  • multer for file uploads
  • dotenv for environment variable management

Frontend (Client)

• Framework: React 19
• Build Tool: Vite 6
• Routing: React Router DOM 7
• Styling: Tailwind CSS 4
• UI Components:
  • React Toastify for notifications
  • Framer Motion for animations
  • React Chart.js 2 for data visualization
• HTTP Client: Axios for API requests
• State Management: Built-in React hooks and Context API

Development & Testing

• Package Management: npm
• Development Server: Nodemon for auto-reloading
• Testing: Jest for unit testing, Supertest for API testing
• Code Quality: ESLint for linting

Infrastructure & Deployment

• Database Hosting: MongoDB Atlas
• Image Storage: Cloudinary
• Email Service: SMTP-compatible email providers
• Frontend Deployment: Vercel
• Backend Deployment: Render (Docker)
• Deployment Configuration: See DEPLOYMENT_INSTRUCTIONS.md for detailed deployment guides

Sprint: Cloudinary Image Management

This branch contains the implementation of Cloudinary image management functionality as part of sprint tasks #62-#68.

Completed Tasks

1. Setup Cloudinary configuration in backend
2. Implement image upload endpoint for provider/service images
3. Implement image delete/update functionality
4. Store Cloudinary image URLs in database
5. Add validation for size, type, and format
6. Write test cases for image upload/delete APIs
7. Document image management endpoints

API Documentation

See Image Management API Documentation for details on the implemented endpoints.

Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Run npm install to install dependencies
3. Set up environment variables (see .env.example)
4. Run npm start to start the server

Testing

Run npm test to execute the test suite.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.