[x] Project Setup:

Initialize a new Node.js project (npm init). Install necessary dependencies (express, mongoose, etc.). Set up your directory structure. Create configuration files (package.json, .env, etc.). Database Setup:

[x] Set up your database (MongoDB) and connect to it. [x] Define database schemas/models (User, Tool, Review, Upvote, etc.). [x] Implement CRUD operations for database interactions. [x] Authentication and Authorization:

[x] Implement user authentication (register, login) using Google OAuth or other methods. [x] Set up authorization middleware to protect routes (e.g., admin routes, user-specific routes).

API Routes:

[x] Define API routes for user-related operations (register, login, profile management). [x] Define API routes for tool-related operations (listing tools, adding tools, managing tools). [x] Define API routes for review and upvote operations (submitting reviews, upvoting tools).

Error Handling:

[x] Implement error handling middleware to catch and handle errors globally. [x] Define error response formats and status codes for different types of errors.

Validation:

[x] Implement input validation middleware to validate incoming request data. [x] Validate user input (e.g., email format, password strength). [x] Validate tool-related input (e.g., required fields, data formats).

Middleware:

[x] Implement middleware for common tasks (logging, request/response manipulation, etc.). [x] Use middleware to handle cross-cutting concerns (e.g., authentication, authorization).

Testing:

[x] Write unit tests for your API routes and middleware functions. [x] Use testing frameworks (e.g., Mocha, Jest) and assertion libraries (e.g., Chai, Jest) for testing. Documentation:

[x] Document your API endpoints (URLs, request/response formats, parameters, etc.). [x] Generate API documentation using tools like Swagger or Postman.

Security:

[x] Implement security best practices (e.g., secure password storage, data encryption). [x] Protect against common security vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS attacks).

Deployment:

[x] Choose a hosting platform (e.g., Heroku, AWS, DigitalOcean). [x] Configure deployment settings (environment variables, database connection strings). [x] Deploy your Express.js application to a production environment.

Monitoring and Logging:

[x] Set up logging to track application events and errors. [x] Implement monitoring solutions (e.g., health checks, performance monitoring).

[x] deploy app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdT3K-6TOb0

[x] Implement Deals feature [x] Implement Blog feature [x] Implement compare tools (VS) feature [x] Implement personalized experience for frontend- onboarding screen