Vylety - Blog Platform

A lightweight, high-performance blog built with Next.js 15 and Payload CMS 3.0. This application is designed for a curated reading experience where access is managed strictly by the administrator.

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Project Logic & Authentication

This blog implements a Magic Link authentication system. Users don't need passwords—they receive a secure login link via email.

Current Implementation: Magic Link

How it works:

1. User visits the login page and enters their email
2. System sends an email with a magic link (valid for a limited time)
3. User clicks the link and is automatically logged in
4. Session is created via secure cookie

Key Features:

• ✅ No passwords to remember or manage
• ✅ Secure token-based authentication
• ✅ Time-limited login links
• ✅ Admin-controlled user access (no public registration)

Access Control

• No Public Registration: Users cannot sign themselves up. An admin must create accounts in the Payload dashboard.
• Email-Based Access: Only users with registered email addresses can request a login link.
• Admin Only: Only administrators can create, edit, or delete user accounts.

Alternative: Password Authentication (Configurable)

Password-based authentication can be enabled via environment variable for demo and testing purposes.

When enabled:

• Users log in with email and password instead of magic links
• Passwords are managed in the Payload dashboard
• Useful for demos, testing, and future implementations

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Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and populate it with the following variables.

Next

Variable	Description
PAYLOAD_SECRET	Secret string used to secure cookies and JWTs.
ADMIN_EMAIL	The email address of the primary administrator.
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_METHOD	Authentication method: magic-link (default, secure) or password (demo/testing)

Database (PostgreSQL)

Variable	Description	Example
DB_HOST	Database host	localhost
DB_PORT	Port the database is listening on.	5432
DB_USER	Database username.	postgres
DB_PASS	Database password.	postgres
DB_NAME	The name of the database.	postgres

General Settings

Variable	Description	Example
WEBSITE_TITLE	The display name of the blog.	Example.cz
WEBSITE_URL	The full base URL of the application.	http://localhost:3000

Email Configuration (SMTP)

Variable	Description	Example
SMTP_HOST	SMTP server hostname.	smtp.example.com
SMTP_PORT	SMTP server port.	587
SMTP_USER	The username for the SMTP account.	info@example.com
SMTP_PASS	The password for the SMTP account.	your_password
SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS	The email address used as the sender.	info@example.com
SMTP_FROM_NAME	The name displayed in the "From" field.	Example.cz

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Development Setup

1. Database

The database runs in a Docker container. To start only the database:

docker compose up db -d