SkillConnect 🚀

A modern freelance marketplace connecting clients with skilled freelancers — secure job postings, real-time chat, reporting, and seamless project management.

A single-stop platform for clients and freelancers to find, manage, and deliver projects with confidence.

Table of Contents

• About
• Features
• Tech Stack
• Project Structure
• Quick Start
• Scripts
• Chrome Extension
• Theme (Dark/Light)
• Roadmap
• Contributing
• Security
• License
• Acknowledgments

About

SkillConnect is a modern, full-stack freelance marketplace designed to connect clients with freelancers worldwide. It focuses on security, performance, and a great developer experience.

Language composition: TypeScript (99.2%), Other (0.8%).

✨ Features

• Secure authentication with role-based access control (Client / Freelancer) and Clerk integration.
• Job management: post jobs, apply, manage proposals, track progress.
• Real-time communication: WebSocket-based chat with history and search.
• Reporting & dispute workflow for safety and trust.
• Analytics dashboard and calendar integration.
• Chrome extension for quick access.
• Persistent light/dark theme support.

🛠️ Technology Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 15, TypeScript, TailwindCSS
• Backend: Next.js App Router (API routes / edge functions)
• Database: MongoDB (Mongoose)
• Auth: Clerk (NextAuth.js reference)
• Real-time: WebSockets / Socket.io
• Runtime / Package Manager: Bun

📂 Project Structure

skillconnect/
├── src/
│   ├── app/                    # Next.js App Router (pages & api)
│   │   ├── api/                # API endpoints (auth, jobs, users, chat)
│   │   ├── (dashboard)/        # Protected dashboard routes
│   │   ├── jobs/               # Job listings and details
│   │   ├── profile/            # User profiles
│   │   └── chat/               # Chat interface
│   ├── components/             # Reusable UI components
│   ├── lib/                    # Utilities (db, auth, utils)
│   ├── models/                 # MongoDB schemas
│   ├── types/                  # TypeScript types
│   └── styles/                 # Global styles
├── public/                     # Static assets
├── package.json                # Dependencies & scripts
├── tailwind.config.ts          # Tailwind config
├── next.config.ts              # Next.js config
└── tsconfig.json               # TypeScript config

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Bun v1.0+ (https://bun.sh/docs/installation)
• Node.js v18+ (for compatibility)
• MongoDB Atlas or local MongoDB

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Rudrxxx/SkillConnect.git
cd SkillConnect

2. Install dependencies

```bash
bun install

3. Create environment file

Create a .env.local in the project root with the values below (replace placeholders):

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/SkillConnect

# Clerk
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_******************************
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_*****************************
CLERK_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_***************

4. Start development server

bun dev

Open http://localhost:3000

📜 Available Scripts

bun dev    # Start development server with hot reload
bun build  # Create production build
bun start  # Start production server

🔌 Chrome Extension (optional)

A lightweight Chrome extension is included for one-click access to the app.

To test:

• Open Chrome → Extensions → Enable Developer Mode → Load Unpacked → Select the extension folder
• Click the SkillConnect icon → Open SkillConnect

🌗 Theme (Dark / Light)

• Tailwind is configured with darkMode: 'class'.
• ThemeProvider manages light, dark, and system modes.
• Preference stored in localStorage under SkillConnect-theme.

📈 Roadmap

• Phase 1: Core marketplace features (done)
• Phase 2: Multi-language support, Advanced Analytics
• Phase 3: AI-powered matching, API marketplace
• Phase 4: Enterprise & white-label features

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow the standard Git workflow:

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
3. Make changes & add tests
4. Run tests: bun test
5. Commit & open a PR

Please follow code style, add tests, and update docs.

📄 License

MIT — see LICENSE file.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Thanks to Next.js, MongoDB, Tailwind CSS, and Bun.

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Made with ❤️ by Rudransh Gupta