💘 Collexa

A campus dating app exclusively for IITs students.
🌐 Live: https://collexa.online

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🚀 Overview

Collexa allows IIT Mandi students to discover, match, and chat securely using their institute email. Only verified institute email holders can register.

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🛠 Tech Stack

• Frontend: React + Vite + Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Node.js + Express.js
• Database: MongoDB Atlas
• Storage: AWS S3
• Real-time: Socket.IO
• Auth: JWT + Email OTP
• Encryption: Web Crypto API (RSA-OAEP)
• Deployment: AWS EC2 + Nginx + PM2 + SSL

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✨ Features

• Swipe (Like / Pass) with drag support
• Filter discover by Stream + Year
• Match system (mutual likes)
• Real-time chat (text, emoji, images, files, voice)
• End-to-End encrypted text messages (RSA)
• Seen ticks (✓✓)
• Delete messages (me / everyone)
• Bulk delete & clear chat
• Block / Unblock users
• Online / Offline status
• Push notifications (in-app + browser + sound)
• User profiles (photos, bio, interests, course, stream, year, age)
• View other user's profile
• Delete account
• Terms & Conditions on signup
• Forgot password (OTP-based reset via email)
• Institute email validation

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🔐 Security

• E2E Encryption — Text messages are end-to-end encrypted. The server only stores ciphertext; plaintext is never visible to the server.
• Institute-restricted — Only @iitmandi.ac.in email addresses are accepted. OTP verification ensures the user has real access to that inbox.
• JWT Auth — Tokens expire in 7 days. All protected routes require a valid token.

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📁 Project Structure

Collexa/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/         # DB, mailer, S3
│   ├── controllers/    # auth, chat, match, profile, swipe, user
│   ├── models/         # User, Profile, Match, Swipe, Message
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── middleware/     # auth, error handler, logger, upload
│   └── server.js
└── frontend/
    └── src/
        ├── pages/      # Login, Signup, ForgotPassword, Dashboard, Chat, ...
        ├── components/
        ├── context/    # AuthContext, SocketContext
        └── utils/      # api.js, crypto.js

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⚙️ Local Setup

Backend

cd backend
npm install
# create .env (refer .env.example)
node server.js

Frontend

cd frontend
npm install
# create .env — leave VITE_SOCKET_URL unset for local dev (Vite proxy handles it)
# For production only: VITE_SOCKET_URL=https://collexa.online
npm run dev

Note: E2E encryption requires HTTPS. On local HTTP, encryption is gracefully skipped.

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🚀 Production Deployment (EC2)

cd ~/Collexa && git pull origin main
cd frontend && npm run build
cd ../backend && npm install
pm2 restart all

Make sure frontend/.env on EC2 has:

VITE_SOCKET_URL=https://collexa.online

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Built with 💘 by Pramesh