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Domain Names Setup

Multiforum requires separate domains (or subdomains) for the frontend and backend.

Domain Structure​

A typical setup uses:

  • Frontend: multiforum.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com
  • Backend: api.multiforum.yourdomain.com or api.yourdomain.com

Getting a Domain​

If you don't have a domain, you can purchase one from:

DNS Configuration​

DNS configuration depends on where you deploy. Here are common setups:

Vercel (Frontend)​

  1. Add your domain in Vercel project settings
  2. Add a CNAME record:
    • Host: @ or your subdomain
    • Value: cname.vercel-dns.com

Railway / Render (Backend)​

  1. Add your domain in the platform's settings
  2. Add a CNAME record pointing to the provided hostname

Custom VPS​

Point your domain to your server's IP address:

  • A Record: @ → your.server.ip
  • A Record: api → your.server.ip

SSL Certificates​

Most modern hosting platforms (Vercel, Railway, Render, Cloudflare) provide automatic SSL certificates. If you're self-hosting, use Let's Encrypt with certbot:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d api.yourdomain.com

Required Environment Variables​

Frontend (.env)​

VITE_BASE_URL=https://your-frontend-domain.com
VITE_GRAPHQL_URL=https://your-backend-domain.com/graphql
VITE_AUTH0_CALLBACK_URL=https://your-frontend-domain.com/callback
VITE_LOGOUT_URL=https://your-frontend-domain.com

Auth0 Configuration​

Remember to update your Auth0 application settings with your final domain URLs for:

  • Allowed Callback URLs
  • Allowed Logout URLs
  • Allowed Web Origins

Next Steps​

Continue setting up the other prerequisites: