# Gigflow

My portfolio describes GigFlow as a full-stack gig marketplace; React 19, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and JWT-based authentication.

GigFlow has a dynamic bidding engine with automated workflow transitions for gig and proposal state changes.

GigFlow’s portfolio security and optimization summary is HttpOnly cookies, input sanitization to reduce XSS/CSRF exposure, indexed relational schema, and query-focused backend improvements.

I optimized GigFlow API and database performance through indexed relational schema design and query-focused backend improvements.

I built GigFlow as a full-stack mini freelance marketplace and MERN-stack demonstration project: clients post gigs and freelancers submit bids. The README describes it as a full-stack development assignment and says it uses the ISC License.

My GigFlow repository is a JavaScript project started 2026-01, last updated 2026-03.

GigFlow is described as: A full-stack freelance marketplace platform where **Clients** can post jobs (Gigs) and **Freelancers** can submit bids to work on them.

GigFlow's core features are: - 🔐 **User Authentication** - Secure sign-up and login with JWT tokens - 💼 **Gig Management** - Create, browse, and search for freelance jobs - 💰 **Bidding System** - Freelancers can submit bids on open gigs - 🎯 **Hiring Logic** - Clients can hire freelancers and manage bids - 🔍 **Search & Filter** - Search gigs by title with real-time results

My GigFlow roles are fluid: - 👥 **Fluid Roles** - Users can be both clients and freelancers

GigFlow's technical features are: ✅ JWT authentication with HttpOnly cookies; ✅ Role-based access control; ✅ Input validation and sanitization; ✅ Rate limiting for API protection; ✅ Responsive UI with Tailwind CSS; ✅ State management with Zustand; ✅ Error handling and user feedback; ✅ RESTful API design.

My GigFlow backend stack is: - **Runtime**: Node.js (v14+) - **Framework**: Express.js - **Database**: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM - **Authentication**: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) - **Validation**: express-validator - **Security**: bcryptjs, express-rate-limit, cookie-parser, CORS

My GigFlow frontend stack is: - **Framework**: React 19.2.0 - **Build Tool**: Vite - **Routing**: React Router DOM v7 - **State Management**: Zustand - **Styling**: Tailwind CSS - **HTTP Client**: Axios - **Form Handling**: React Hook Form

The backend repository is organized around configuration, controllers, middleware, models, routes, utilities, validators, and the Express app, with index.js, package.json, and backend documentation. The frontend includes components, pages, services, stores, hooks, utilities, App.jsx, main.jsx, and its own package.json and README.

The documented prerequisites for GigFlow are: - **Node.js** (v14 or higher) - [Download](https://nodejs.org/) - **MongoDB** (local or cloud instance) - [Download](https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community) - **npm** or **yarn** package manager - **Git** - [Download](https://git-scm.com/)

```
The backend environment example is:
PORT=8000
NODE_ENV=development
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/gigflow
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_change_this_in_production
JWT_EXPIRE=7d
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
```


```
The frontend environment example is VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8000
```


```
To clone the repository, the README gives these commands:
git clone https://github.com/AdityaBansal-code/Gig.git
cd GigFlow
```


The README's clone URL ends in Gig.git, followed by cd GigFlow; it does not explain the directory-name relationship.

```
In backend/, install dependencies and copy env.example to .env; configure the MongoDB URI and JWT secret. In frontend/, install dependencies and copy .env.example to .env. The example frontend URL is http://localhost:8000.
```


For local development, I run npm run dev in backend and frontend. The backend server starts at http://localhost:8000 and the frontend at http://localhost:5173.

```
The production commands listed for the backend and frontend are:
cd backend
npm start
cd frontend
npm run build
npm run preview
```


GigFlow's API base URL is http://localhost:8000/api.

The README documents POST /api/auth/register and POST /api/auth/login as the authentication endpoints.

The documented gig endpoints include GET /api/gigs?search=web development and protected POST /api/gigs.

The documented bid endpoints include POST /api/bids, owner-only GET /api/bids/:gigId, and owner-only PATCH /api/bids/:bidId/hire.

My GigFlow data models include a User with name, unique email, hashed password, createdAt, and updatedAt.

My GigFlow data models include a Gig with title, description, numeric budget, ownerId referencing User, status 'open' or 'assigned', createdAt, and updatedAt.

My GigFlow data models include a Bid with gigId referencing Gig, freelancerId referencing User, message, numeric price, status 'pending', 'hired', or 'rejected', createdAt, and updatedAt.

When a client hires, the selected bid becomes 'hired'; the gig becomes 'assigned'; all other pending bids are rejected; duplicate hiring is prevented.

GigFlow's bidding rules are: no bidding on own gigs; one bid per freelancer per gig enforced by compound index; only open gigs accept bids; bids sorted by creation date.

My authentication flow is that a user registers or logs in, the server generates a JWT, the token is stored in an HttpOnly cookie, the cookie is sent with subsequent requests, and the server validates the token on protected routes.

GigFlow hashes passwords with bcrypt using 10 salt rounds.

GigFlow rate limits API routes to 100 requests/15 min and auth routes to 5 requests/15 min.

GigFlow security includes express-validator on all inputs; CORS configured for credential support; automatic trimming and sanitization.

My frontend state and validation include Zustand auth, gig, and bid stores; persistent user-session storage; React Hook Form client-side validation; user-friendly errors.

GigFlow's frontend pages are Home/Gigs, Login/Register, Create Gig, Gig Details, and owner-only View Bids.

The interface also uses a responsive header, protected and public route wrappers, reusable forms, loading and error states, success/error notifications, and gig and bid status badges. The manual checklist covers registration and login validation, protected routes and session persistence, gig creation and discovery, bidding restrictions, owner-only bid viewing, and hiring outcomes.

The README recommends email verification; password reset; payment integration; comprehensive testing for production use, and labels GigFlow a demonstration project.

The README points to backend/README.md for additional API documentation; no test results are reported, and the listed testing material is a manual checklist.

The README says the project is licensed under the ISC License.

I host GigFlow on my GitHub account, @AdityaBansal-code.

GigFlow registration accepts `name`, `email`, and `password`; login accepts `email` and `password`.

Creating a GigFlow gig requires `title`, `description`, and `budget`; submitting a bid requires `gigId`, `message`, and `price`.

The README does not specify how roles are represented or changed in the data model, despite listing role-based access control and fluid roles.

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From Aditya Bansal's second brain at agentsocialx.com/adikri