Installation Guide - BlogNetwork Pro | Multi-Domain AutoBlogger

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and configured:

1. Node.js 18 or Higher

Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org. Verify installation by running:

node --version

You should see version 18.0.0 or higher.

2. npm (Node Package Manager)

npm comes bundled with Node.js. Verify installation:

npm --version

3. PostgreSQL Database

You'll need a PostgreSQL database. Recommended options:

Neon (Recommended): neon.tech - Serverless PostgreSQL
Vercel Postgres: Integrated with Vercel hosting
Supabase: supabase.com - Alternative PostgreSQL
Any PostgreSQL Database: Works with any PostgreSQL 12+ database

4. Anthropic API Key (Required)

For AI content generation, you'll need an Anthropic API key:

Sign up at console.anthropic.com
Create an API key
Copy the key for use in configuration

5. Optional: GoHighLevel Account

For email capture and CRM integration (optional):

Sign up at gohighlevel.com
Create a private integration with required scopes
Get your Location ID and API Key

6. Optional: Google Analytics 4

For website analytics (optional):

Create a GA4 property at analytics.google.com
Get your Measurement ID (format: G-XXXXXXXXXX)

Step 1: Extract and Navigate to Project

Extract the downloaded ZIP file to your desired location
Open a terminal/command prompt
Navigate to the project directory:
```
cd path/to/blogger
```

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install all required Node.js packages:

npm install

This may take a few minutes. Wait for the installation to complete.

Note: If you encounter errors during installation, ensure you have Node.js 18+ installed and try deleting the node_modules folder and package-lock.json file, then run npm install again.

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

Create a file named .env.local in the root directory of the project. This file stores your configuration settings.

Create .env.local File

Create a new file called .env.local in the project root with the following content:

# Database Connection
DATABASE_URL=your_postgresql_connection_string_here

# AI Generation (Required)
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

# Authentication
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your_random_secret_string_here_minimum_32_characters
ADMIN_PASSWORD=your_admin_password_here

# Cron Job Authentication (Required for scheduled posts)
CRON_SECRET=your_secure_random_string_minimum_16_characters

# Multi-Domain Admin Access Control (Recommended)
# Set this to one of your domain names after adding domains in admin panel
# This domain will have full admin access (can manage all domains, themes, plugins)
# Other domains will have limited access (can only manage their own posts and categories)
MAIN_DOMAIN=your-main-domain.com

# Optional: Third-party Plugins
PLUGINS_JSON_URL=https://your-plugins-feed-url.com/plugins.json

Environment Variable Details

Variable	Required	Description	Example
`DATABASE_URL`	Yes	PostgreSQL connection string	`postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/dbname`
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Yes	Anthropic Claude API key for AI generation	`sk-ant-api03-...`
`NEXTAUTH_SECRET`	Yes	Random secret for session encryption (min 32 chars)	Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
`ADMIN_PASSWORD`	No	Default admin password (defaults to "admin123")	`your_secure_password`
`CRON_SECRET`	Yes	Secret for cron job authentication (min 16 chars)	Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 16`
`MAIN_DOMAIN`	Recommended	Domain name with full admin access. Other domains have limited access (posts/categories only). Set this after adding domains in admin panel.	`example.com`
`PLUGINS_JSON_URL`	No	URL to third-party plugins JSON feed	`https://example.com/plugins.json`

Important Notes on MAIN_DOMAIN:

The easiest way to get started is to run npm run dev locally first to set up your database and create your first admin user.
After deploying to Vercel (or your hosting provider), add your domains through the admin panel.
Set MAIN_DOMAIN to one of the domain names you added in the admin panel.
Re-deploy if you changed MAIN_DOMAIN after initial deployment.
The domain specified in MAIN_DOMAIN will have full administrative access (can manage all domains, themes, plugins).
Other domains will have limited access (can only manage their own posts and categories).

Generating Secure Secrets

To generate secure random strings for NEXTAUTH_SECRET and CRON_SECRET:

On Mac/Linux: Run openssl rand -base64 32 in terminal
On Windows: Use an online random string generator or PowerShell
Online: Use a secure random string generator (minimum 32 characters for NEXTAUTH_SECRET, 16 for CRON_SECRET)

Step 4: Set Up Database

4.1 Push Database Schema

Create all required database tables:

npm run db:push

This command creates all necessary tables in your PostgreSQL database.

4.2 Seed Initial Data

Create the default admin user:

npx tsx scripts/seed.ts

This creates an admin user with:

Email: admin@example.com
Password: Your ADMIN_PASSWORD env var, or "admin123" if not set

Important: Change the default admin password immediately after first login for security.

Step 5: Start Development Server

Start the development server to test your installation:

npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:3000

Note: The first startup may take a minute or two as Next.js compiles the application.

Step 6: Access Admin Panel

Open your web browser
Navigate to http://localhost:3000/admin/login
Login with:
- Email: admin@example.com
- Password: Your ADMIN_PASSWORD or "admin123"

Congratulations! If you can access the admin panel, your installation is successful!

Step 7: Create Your First Domain

After logging in, create your first domain:

Click on "Domains" in the admin navigation
Click "New Domain" button
Enter your domain name (e.g., example.com)
Configure basic settings:
- Select or create a theme
- Add site title and description
- Configure SEO settings
Click "Save"

Note: For local development, you can use localhost:3000 or add entries to your /etc/hosts file (Mac/Linux) or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts (Windows) to test with custom domains.

Production Deployment

For production deployment, we recommend using Vercel:

Deploy to Vercel

Push your code to a GitHub repository
Go to vercel.com and sign in
Click "New Project"
Import your GitHub repository
Configure environment variables in Vercel dashboard:
- Add all variables from your .env.local file
- Ensure CRON_SECRET is set for scheduled posts
Click "Deploy"
After deployment completes:
1. Add your custom domains in Vercel project settings
2. Configure DNS records as instructed by Vercel
3. Add your domains through the admin panel (Admin > Domains)
4. Set the MAIN_DOMAIN environment variable in Vercel to one of your domain names
5. Re-deploy if you changed MAIN_DOMAIN after initial deployment

Recommended Workflow:

Start with local development (npm run dev) to set up your database and create your first admin user
Deploy to Vercel (or your hosting provider) with all environment variables configured
After deployment, add your domains through the admin panel
Set MAIN_DOMAIN environment variable to one of your domain names (the one you want to have full admin access)
Re-deploy if you changed MAIN_DOMAIN after initial deployment

Build for Production

To test the production build locally:

npm run build
npm start

Troubleshooting

Database Connection Errors

Verify your DATABASE_URL is correct
Ensure your database server is running and accessible
Check firewall settings if using a remote database
Verify database credentials are correct

API Key Errors

Verify your ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is correct and active
Check your Anthropic account has sufficient credits
Ensure the API key has proper permissions

Port Already in Use

If port 3000 is already in use:

Stop the other application using port 3000, or
Set a custom port: PORT=3001 npm run dev

Module Not Found Errors

Delete node_modules folder and package-lock.json
Run npm install again
Ensure you're using Node.js 18 or higher

Next Steps

Now that installation is complete, you can: