GoalNow - Interview Preparation Platform

A modern interview preparation platform with Google OAuth authentication, MongoDB storage, and interactive assessment modules.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16+)
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• Google OAuth Credentials

Installation

1. Clone/Setup the project

   cd GoalNow

2. Configure Google OAuth

   • Follow SETUP_GUIDE.md for Google Cloud setup
   • Get your Google Client ID

3. Setup Server

   cd server
   npm install
   # Create .env file with your credentials
   npm run dev

4. Setup Client

   cd client
   npm install
   # Create .env.local with your Google Client ID
   npm run dev

5. Access the app

   • Client: http://localhost:5173
   • Server: http://localhost:5000

📋 Features

Authentication

• ✅ Google OAuth Sign-In - Direct login with Google
• ✅ Email Sign-Up - Manual registration with name & email
• ✅ Profile Management - Custom avatar and profile updates
• ✅ JWT Authentication - Secure token-based auth
• ✅ MongoDB Storage - All user data persisted

Assessment Modules

• 📝 Behavioral Assessment - Interview behavior questions
• 💻 Technical Assessment - Coding and technical questions
• 📊 Performance Tracking - Track progress over time

User Features

• 👤 User Profiles - Custom profile with avatar
• 🔐 Secure Authentication - JWT tokens
• 📱 Responsive Design - Works on all devices

🏗️ Project Structure

GoalNow/
├── client/                 # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── Page/          # Page components
│   │   ├── components/    # Reusable components
│   │   ├── assesment/     # Assessment modules
│   │   └── services/      # API services
│   ├── .env.local         # Client environment
│   └── package.json
├── server/                # Express backend
│   ├── models/            # MongoDB schemas
│   ├── routes/            # API routes
│   ├── server.js          # Entry point
│   ├── .env               # Server environment
│   └── package.json
└── SETUP_GUIDE.md         # Detailed setup guide

🔑 Environment Variables

Server (.env)

MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/goalnow
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_google_client_secret
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
PORT=5000

Client (.env.local)

VITE_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

📚 API Documentation

Authentication Endpoints

Google Sign-Up

POST /api/auth/google-signup
Body: { googleId, firstName, lastName, email, googleProfileImage }
Response: { token, user }

Email Sign-Up

POST /api/auth/email-signup
Body: { firstName, lastName, email, profileImage }
Response: { token, user }

Get Profile

GET /api/auth/profile/:userId
Response: { user }

Update Profile

PUT /api/auth/profile/:userId
Body: { firstName, lastName, profileImage }
Response: { user }

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 19
• React Router DOM
• Axios
• React OAuth (Google)
• Tailwind CSS
• Three.js (3D elements)

Backend

• Node.js / Express
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• CORS

🔐 Security Features

• ✅ JWT-based authentication
• ✅ Password hashing (ready to implement)
• ✅ CORS protection
• ✅ Environment variable protection
• ✅ MongoDB injection prevention

📝 Data Storage

All user information is stored in MongoDB with the following schema:

{
  firstName: String,
  lastName: String,
  email: String (unique),
  googleId: String (unique, sparse),
  profileImage: String,
  googleProfileImage: String,
  signupMethod: String ('google' | 'email'),
  verified: Boolean,
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

🚀 Deployment

Heroku/Railway

1. Update your env variables
2. Ensure MongoDB Atlas connection string
3. Update CORS origins
4. Deploy both client and server

Vercel/Netlify (Client)

1. Deploy from GitHub
2. Set env variables
3. Update API URL

📖 Documentation

• Setup Guide - Detailed setup instructions
• API Documentation - Endpoint reference
• Architecture - System design

🐛 Troubleshooting

Google Sign-In Not Working

• Verify Client ID in .env.local
• Check origins in Google Cloud Console
• Clear browser cache

MongoDB Connection Error

• Verify connection string in .env
• Check MongoDB is running
• For Atlas: verify credentials and IP whitelist

CORS Errors

• Ensure client and server URLs match
• Check CORS configuration in server

📧 Support

For issues or questions, refer to SETUP_GUIDE.md or contact support.

📄 License

ISC

👥 Contributors

Created for interview preparation practice.

---

Last Updated: March 2026