UpLink is a full-stack MERN job board platform built with Next.js 16 (App Router) . It connects job seekers with employers through a clean, modern interface that is fully server-rendered for SEO — meaning job listings and company profiles are indexed by Google.
The platform supports three distinct user roles, each with a dedicated dashboard:
👤 Job Seeker
🏢 Employer
🛡️ Admin
Browse & apply for jobs
Post & manage job listings
Platform-wide oversight
Build a resume in-app
Track applicants per listing
Approve company registrations
Set up smart job alerts
Update applicant statuses
Manage users, jobs & categories
Bookmark jobs for later
View hiring analytics
Moderate company reviews
The project leverages Next.js App Router capabilities — SSR/SSG for SEO, API route handlers (no separate backend), edge middleware for auth, generateMetadata for dynamic meta tags, and next/image for optimized image delivery.
Browse all jobs with search, filter (category, type, location, salary, remote), and sort
View SEO-optimized job detail pages (server-rendered)
Apply with in-app or uploaded resume + cover letter
Resume Builder — multi-step form with live preview → generates downloadable PDFTrack all applications with real-time status updates
Bookmark/save jobs to apply later
Smart Job Alerts — set keywords & categories → get email notifications via Resend when matching jobs are postedLeave company reviews with ratings
Register a company with logo, description, industry, and social links
Post job listings with Tiptap rich text editor for descriptions
Manage listings — edit, pause, close, or delete
View all applicants per job with downloadable resumes
Update applicant status pipeline: pending → reviewed → shortlisted → rejected → hired
Employer dashboard with analytics — total jobs, applicants, and application trends (Recharts)
Platform-wide dashboard with aggregate stats and charts
Manage all users (seekers + employers) — roles & status
Approve or reject company registrations
Moderate all job posts and company reviews
CRUD for job categories
Category
Technology
Purpose
Framework Next.js 16 (App Router)
SSR/SSG, API routes, middleware, image optimization
UI Library React 19
Component-based UI
Styling Tailwind CSS v4
Utility-first CSS
Animations Framer Motion
Page transitions & micro-interactions
Authentication NextAuth.js v5 (Auth.js)
Credentials + Google OAuth, JWT sessions
Database MongoDB + Mongoose 9
Document-based data storage with ODM
Data Fetching TanStack Query v5 (client) / fetch (server)
Caching, loading states, auto refetch
Forms React Hook Form + Zod
Validated forms with shared client/server schemas
Rich Text Tiptap 3
Job description editor (bold, lists, links, headings)
Charts Recharts
Dashboard analytics visualizations
State Management Zustand
Resume builder & filter state
File Upload Cloudinary + Multer
Resume PDFs & company logos
PDF Generation @react-pdf/renderer
In-app resume → downloadable PDF
Email Resend + React Email
Job alert & welcome email notifications
Date Utilities date-fns
Date formatting & manipulation
Notifications React Hot Toast
Success/error toasts
Icons React Icons
UI iconography
Deployment Vercel
Full-stack hosting (frontend + API routes)
Node.js ≥ 18.xnpm ≥ 9.x (or yarn / pnpm )MongoDB instance (MongoDB Atlas recommended)Google Cloud project with OAuth credentialsCloudinary account (Sign up free )Resend account (Sign up free )
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/uplink.git
cd uplink
Install dependencies
Set up environment variables
Create a .env file in the root directory (see Environment Variables below).
Start the development server
The app will be available at http://localhost:3000.
npm run build
npm start # Start the production server Create a .env file in the project root with the following variables:
# ─── MongoDB ──────────────────────────────────────MONGODB_URI = mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/uplink?retryWrites=true&w=majority
# ─── NextAuth ─────────────────────────────────────NEXTAUTH_URL = http://localhost:3000
NEXTAUTH_SECRET = your_nextauth_secret_key
# ─── Google OAuth ─────────────────────────────────GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID = your_google_client_id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET = your_google_client_secret
# ─── Cloudinary ───────────────────────────────────CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME = your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY = your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET = your_api_secret
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME = your_cloud_name
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET = your_unsigned_preset
# ─── Resend (Email) ──────────────────────────────RESEND_API_KEY = your_resend_api_key
RESEND_FROM_EMAIL = alerts@yourdomain.com
⚠️ Important: Never commit your .env file to version control. It is already included in .gitignore.
uplink/
├── app/ # Next.js App Router
│ ├── layout.jsx # Root layout — fonts, providers, toaster
│ ├── globals.css # Global styles & Tailwind imports
│ ├── not-found.jsx # Custom 404 page
│ ├── loading.jsx # Global loading UI
│ │
│ ├── (public)/ # 🌐 Public pages (SSR/SSG)
│ │ ├── layout.jsx # Navbar + Footer wrapper
│ │ ├── page.jsx # Home / Landing page (SSG)
│ │ ├── about/page.jsx # About page (SSG)
│ │ ├── jobs/
│ │ │ ├── page.jsx # All jobs listing (SSR)
│ │ │ └── [id]/page.jsx # Job detail (SSR + generateMetadata)
│ │ └── companies/
│ │ ├── page.jsx # All companies (SSR)
│ │ └── [id]/page.jsx # Company profile (SSR + generateMetadata)
│ │
│ ├── (auth)/ # 🔑 Auth pages (centered layout)
│ │ ├── layout.jsx # Centered card layout
│ │ ├── login/page.jsx # Login (credentials + Google)
│ │ └── register/page.jsx # Register (with role selection)
│ │
│ ├── dashboard/ # 👤 Job Seeker area
│ │ ├── layout.jsx # Sidebar + content layout
│ │ ├── page.jsx # Dashboard home — stats & activity
│ │ ├── applications/page.jsx # My applications tracker
│ │ ├── saved/page.jsx # Bookmarked jobs
│ │ ├── alerts/page.jsx # Job alert preferences
│ │ ├── profile/page.jsx # Edit profile, skills, experience
│ │ └── resume/page.jsx # Resume builder (multi-step)
│ │
│ ├── employer/ # 🏢 Employer area
│ │ ├── layout.jsx # Sidebar + content layout
│ │ ├── dashboard/page.jsx # Employer dashboard — stats & charts
│ │ ├── company/page.jsx # Edit company profile
│ │ └── jobs/
│ │ ├── page.jsx # Manage posted jobs
│ │ ├── new/page.jsx # Post new job
│ │ └── [id]/
│ │ ├── edit/page.jsx # Edit existing job
│ │ └── applicants/page.jsx # View applicants per job
│ │
│ ├── admin/ # 🛡️ Admin area
│ │ ├── layout.jsx # Sidebar + content layout
│ │ ├── page.jsx # Admin dashboard — platform stats
│ │ ├── users/page.jsx # Manage all users
│ │ ├── companies/page.jsx # Approve/reject companies
│ │ ├── jobs/page.jsx # Moderate job posts
│ │ ├── categories/page.jsx # Manage job categories
│ │ └── reviews/page.jsx # Manage company reviews
│ │
│ └── api/ # ⚡ API Route Handlers
│ ├── auth/[...nextauth]/route.js # NextAuth handler
│ ├── jobs/ # Jobs CRUD + apply
│ ├── applications/ # Application tracking
│ ├── companies/ # Companies + reviews
│ ├── profile/route.js # User profile
│ ├── resume/route.js # Resume data
│ ├── saved/route.js # Saved/bookmarked jobs
│ ├── alerts/ # Job alert preferences
│ ├── categories/ # Job categories (admin)
│ ├── users/ # User management (admin)
│ ├── upload/route.js # Cloudinary file upload
│ └── admin/ # Admin stats & company approval
│
├── components/ # React Components
│ ├── ui/ # Reusable primitives (Button, Input, Badge, Modal, etc.)
│ ├── shared/ # Navbar, Footer, Sidebars, Providers
│ ├── home/ # Landing page sections
│ ├── jobs/ # JobCard, Filters, Search, ApplyModal
│ ├── companies/ # CompanyCard, Header, Reviews
│ ├── resume/ # ResumeBuilder, StepNav, Preview, PDF
│ ├── dashboard/ # Seeker dashboard components
│ ├── employer/ # Employer dashboard components
│ └── admin/ # Admin dashboard components
│
├── lib/ # Server-side utilities
│ ├── auth.js # NextAuth v5 config (providers, callbacks)
│ ├── db.js # MongoDB singleton connection
│ ├── cloudinary.js # Cloudinary upload helper
│ ├── resend.js # Resend email client
│ ├── templates/ # React Email templates
│ └── utils.js # Shared utility functions
│
├── models/ # Mongoose schemas (9 models)
├── schemas/ # Zod validation schemas (shared client + server)
├── hooks/ # Custom React hooks (TanStack Query wrappers)
├── store/ # Zustand stores (resume builder, filters)
├── public/ # Static assets & logos
├── middleware.js # Next.js edge middleware (auth + role protection)
├── next.config.mjs # Next.js configuration
├── postcss.config.mjs # PostCSS configuration
├── package.json
└── .gitignore
🌐 Public Pages — Server-Rendered for SEO
Page
Route
Rendering
Description
Home
/SSG
Hero, featured jobs, top companies, how it works, stats
All Jobs
/jobsSSR
Full job listings with search, filter, and pagination
Job Detail
/jobs/[id]SSR
Individual job info, requirements, apply button — SEO meta
All Companies
/companiesSSR
Browse all approved companies
Company Profile
/companies/[id]SSR
Company info, open positions, reviews — SEO meta
About
/aboutSSG
Platform story and mission
Page
Route
Description
Login
/loginCredentials + Google OAuth sign-in
Register
/registerAccount creation with role selection (Seeker / Employer)
Page
Route
Description
Dashboard
/dashboardOverview stats, recent applications
My Applications
/dashboard/applicationsAll applications with status tracking
Saved Jobs
/dashboard/savedBookmarked jobs list
Job Alerts
/dashboard/alertsManage keyword/category alert preferences
Profile
/dashboard/profileEdit personal info, skills, experience, education
Resume Builder
/dashboard/resumeMulti-step form → live preview → downloadable PDF
Page
Route
Description
Dashboard
/employer/dashboardJob stats, applicant chart, recent applications
Company Profile
/employer/companyEdit company info, logo, social links
Manage Jobs
/employer/jobsAll posted jobs with edit/pause/delete
Post New Job
/employer/jobs/newCreate job listing with Tiptap rich text editor
Edit Job
/employer/jobs/[id]/editModify existing listing
View Applicants
/employer/jobs/[id]/applicantsApplicants per job with status management
Page
Route
Description
Dashboard
/adminPlatform-wide stats and analytics
Manage Users
/admin/usersAll users with role/status controls
Manage Companies
/admin/companiesApprove or reject company registrations
Manage Jobs
/admin/jobsModerate all job posts
Manage Categories
/admin/categoriesCRUD for job categories
Manage Reviews
/admin/reviewsModerate company reviews
All API routes live under app/api/ and are served from the same Next.js deployment — no separate backend server required .
Access Levels: 🌐 Public · 👤 Seeker · 🏢 Employer · 🛡️ Admin · 🔒 Authenticated
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
*/api/auth/[...nextauth]🌐 Public
NextAuth.js handler (login, callback, session)
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/jobs🌐 Public
Get all jobs (?search, ?category, ?type, ?location, ?salary, ?remote, ?page, ?limit)
POST/api/jobs🏢 Employer
Create new job post
GET/api/jobs/[id]🌐 Public
Get single job detail
PATCH/api/jobs/[id]🏢 Employer (owner)
Update job post
DELETE/api/jobs/[id]🏢 Owner / 🛡️ Admin
Delete job post
POST/api/jobs/[id]/apply👤 Seeker
Apply for job
📋 Applications — /api/applications
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/applications👤 Seeker
Get my applications
PATCH/api/applications/[id]🏢 Employer
Update application status
🏢 Companies — /api/companies
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/companies🌐 Public
Get all approved companies
POST/api/companies🏢 Employer
Create company profile
GET/api/companies/[id]🌐 Public
Get company detail + open jobs
PATCH/api/companies/[id]🏢 Employer (owner)
Update company
GET/api/companies/[id]/reviews🌐 Public
Get company reviews
POST/api/companies/[id]/reviews👤 Seeker
Submit a review
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/profile👤 Seeker
Get my profile
PATCH/api/profile👤 Seeker
Update profile (skills, experience, education)
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/resume👤 Seeker
Get my resume data
POST/api/resume👤 Seeker
Save resume builder data
🔖 Saved Jobs — /api/saved
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/saved👤 Seeker
Get bookmarked jobs
POST/api/saved👤 Seeker
Bookmark a job
DELETE/api/saved👤 Seeker
Remove bookmark
🔔 Job Alerts — /api/alerts
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/alerts👤 Seeker
Get my job alerts
POST/api/alerts👤 Seeker
Create new alert (keywords + categories)
PATCH/api/alerts/[id]👤 Seeker
Update alert
DELETE/api/alerts/[id]👤 Seeker
Delete alert
📂 Categories — /api/categories
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/categories🌐 Public
Get all categories with job counts
POST/api/categories🛡️ Admin
Create category
PATCH/api/categories/[id]🛡️ Admin
Update category
DELETE/api/categories/[id]🛡️ Admin
Delete category
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/users🛡️ Admin
Get all users
PATCH/api/users/[id]🛡️ Admin
Update role or status
DELETE/api/users/[id]🛡️ Admin
Delete user
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
GET/api/admin/stats🛡️ Admin
Platform-wide stats for dashboard
PATCH/api/admin/companies/[id]/approve🛡️ Admin
Approve or reject company registration
Method
Endpoint
Access
Description
POST/api/upload🔒 Auth
Upload file to Cloudinary — returns URL
The application uses 9 Mongoose models with a normalized MongoDB schema:
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ User │────▶│ Profile │ │ Category │
│ │ │ (seeker) │ │ │
│ role: │ └──────────────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│ jobseeker │ │
│ employer │ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────▼───────┐
│ admin │────▶│ Company │────▶│ Job │
│ │ │ (employer) │ │ │
└──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│ │ │
│ ┌──────▼───────┐ ┌──────▼───────┐
│ │ Review │ │ Application │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘
│
├────▶ SavedJob (user + job ref)
└────▶ JobAlert (keywords + categories)
Model
Key Fields
Description
User name, email, password, role, photoURL, isActive
User accounts — jobseeker, employer, admin
Profile skills, experience[], education[], links
Job seeker extended profile
Company name, logo, description, industry, size, isApproved
Employer company profile with admin approval
Job title, description (HTML), category, type, salary, location, deadline
Job listings posted by employers
Application job, applicant, resumeURL, coverLetter, status
Job applications with status pipeline
SavedJob user, job
Bookmarked jobs (user ↔ job reference pair)
JobAlert user, keywords[], categories[]
Email alert subscriptions
Category name, slug, icon, jobCount
Job categories with associated counts
Review company, user, rating, comment, isApproved
Company reviews with admin moderation
🔐 Authentication & Authorization ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ Browser │────▶│ NextAuth │────▶│ MongoDB │────▶│ JWT Token │
│ │ │ Providers │ │ User Lookup │ │ (session) │
│ Login Form │ │ │ │ or Create │ │ │
│ Google SSO │ │ credentials │ │ │ │ role stored │
│ │ │ google │ │ │ │ in token │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └──────┬──────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────▼──────┐
│ Next.js Middleware │
│ │
│ /dashboard/* → requires jobseeker role │
│ /employer/* → requires employer role │
│ /admin/* → requires admin role │
│ /login → redirects if already logged in │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Credentials — Email + password (bcrypt hashed)Google OAuth — One-click Google sign-in
JWT-based sessions — role (jobseeker | employer | admin) embedded in the tokenServer components: access session via auth() from lib/auth.js
Client components: access session via useSession() from next-auth/react
Edge Middleware (middleware.js) — intercepts requests before page loads, checks auth + role, redirects unauthorized usersAPI Routes — additionally verify session via auth() for protected endpoints
🧩 Key Technical Highlights
SSR on job & company pages for Google indexing
SSG on static pages (Home, About) for instant loads
generateMetadata for dynamic SEO meta tagsAPI route handlers — no separate Express server
Edge middleware for auth at the CDN level
next/image for optimized image delivery
Multi-step form (Personal → Experience → Education → Skills → Links)
Live preview panel that updates in real-time
@react-pdf/renderer generates downloadable PDFPDF uploaded to Cloudinary, URL stored in profile
State managed with Zustand store
Seekers define keywords + categories
New job posts trigger alert matching
Email notifications sent via Resend API
React Email templates for rich HTML emails
Zod schemas in schemas/ folder
Shared between client (React Hook Form resolver) and server (API route validation)
Single source of truth for all validation rules
Type-safe error messages
Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:
Fork the repositoryCreate a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)Open a Pull Request
Please make sure to follow the existing code style, use the Zod schemas for any new validation, and test your changes thoroughly.
Distributed under the MIT License . See LICENSE for more information.
Built with ❤️ using Next.js, React, MongoDB, and Tailwind CSS
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