FreelanceHub - Student Freelance Marketplace

A modern freelance marketplace connecting students with businesses for project collaboration.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure JWT-based authentication
• Job Management: Create, browse, and manage freelance jobs
• Proposal System: Students can submit proposals for jobs
• Contract Management: Full contract lifecycle with e-signatures
• Payment Integration: Razorpay payment gateway integration
• Real-time Updates: Auto-refresh and status tracking

Setup Instructions

1. Install Dependencies

npm install

2. Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

# Database
MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

# JWT
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key

# Razorpay (Optional - for production payments)
RAZORPAY_KEY_ID=your_razorpay_key_id
RAZORPAY_KEY_SECRET=your_razorpay_key_secret

# OpenAI (Optional - for AI contract generation)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

3. Payment Setup

Option A: Production (Razorpay)

1. Sign up for a Razorpay account
2. Get your API keys from the dashboard
3. Add them to .env.local

Option B: Development (Test Payments)

• No setup required
• The system will automatically use test payments when Razorpay is not configured
• Perfect for development and testing

4. Run the Application

# Development
npm run dev

# Production
npm run build
npm start

Contract Flow

1. Proposal Submission: Student submits proposal for a job
2. Proposal Review: Business reviews and accepts/rejects proposals
3. Contract Creation: Business creates contract for accepted proposals
4. Student Review: Student reviews and approves contract
5. Payment: Business makes payment through Razorpay
6. E-Signatures: Both parties sign the contract digitally
7. Project Execution: Work begins with signed contract

API Endpoints

Contracts

• POST /api/contracts - Create new contract
• GET /api/contracts - List contracts
• GET /api/contracts/[id] - Get contract details
• PUT /api/contracts/[id] - Update contract
• POST /api/contracts/[id]/payment - Process payment
• POST /api/contracts/[id]/sign - Save e-signature

Proposals

• GET /api/proposals - List proposals
• PUT /api/proposals/[id] - Update proposal status

Development Notes

• The system automatically detects if Razorpay is configured
• Test payments are available in development mode
• E-signatures are stored as base64 encoded images
• Real-time updates every 30 seconds
• Responsive design with Tailwind CSS

Troubleshooting

Payment Issues

• Check if Razorpay keys are properly configured
• Verify contract status is 'approved' before payment
• Ensure user has proper authorization

Signature Issues

• Payment must be completed before signing
• Both parties must sign for contract completion
• Check browser console for any JavaScript errors

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details