diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 03f68be4d..d9c46cded 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 /venv
 /.venv
 /.env
+/*/.env
 /.DS_Store
 __pycache__/
 /FrontEnd/node_modules
diff --git a/FrontEnd/package-lock.json b/FrontEnd/package-lock.json
index 783f784a8..c854d9348 100644
--- a/FrontEnd/package-lock.json
+++ b/FrontEnd/package-lock.json
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
         "swr": "^2.2.2",
         "validator": "^13.11.0",
         "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
+      },
+      "devDependencies": {
+        "dotenv": "^16.3.1"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@aashutoshrathi/word-wrap": {
@@ -7309,11 +7312,15 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/dotenv": {
-      "version": "10.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-10.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rlBi9d8jpv9Sf1klPjNfFAuWDjKLwTIJJ/VxtoTwIR6hnZxcEOQCZg2oIL3MWBYw5GpUDKOEnND7LXTbIpQ03Q==",
+      "version": "16.3.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-16.3.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-IPzF4w4/Rd94bA9imS68tZBaYyBWSCE47V1RGuMrB94iyTOIEwRmVL2x/4An+6mETpLrKJ5hQkB8W4kFAadeIQ==",
+      "dev": true,
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=10"
+        "node": ">=12"
+      },
+      "funding": {
+        "url": "https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv?sponsor=1"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/dotenv-expand": {
@@ -14780,6 +14787,14 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/react-scripts/node_modules/dotenv": {
+      "version": "10.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-10.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-rlBi9d8jpv9Sf1klPjNfFAuWDjKLwTIJJ/VxtoTwIR6hnZxcEOQCZg2oIL3MWBYw5GpUDKOEnND7LXTbIpQ03Q==",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=10"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/react-transition-group": {
       "version": "4.4.5",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react-transition-group/-/react-transition-group-4.4.5.tgz",
diff --git a/FrontEnd/package.json b/FrontEnd/package.json
index 1f2d344cc..99b235d83 100644
--- a/FrontEnd/package.json
+++ b/FrontEnd/package.json
@@ -44,5 +44,8 @@
       "last 1 firefox version",
       "last 1 safari version"
     ]
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "dotenv": "^16.3.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/FrontEnd/sample.env b/FrontEnd/sample.env
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..445288342
--- /dev/null
+++ b/FrontEnd/sample.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+REACT_APP_API_URL=
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/FrontEnd/src/App.js b/FrontEnd/src/App.js
index b71e2d975..f7b3325c1 100644
--- a/FrontEnd/src/App.js
+++ b/FrontEnd/src/App.js
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import './App.css';
 import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
-import AdminPage from "./components/adminPage/AdminPage";
-import BasicPage from "./components/basicPage/BasicPage";
-
+import AdminPage from './components/adminPage/AdminPage';
+import BasicPage from './components/basicPage/BasicPage';
 
 function App() {
   return (
diff --git a/forum/settings.py b/forum/settings.py
index 7746844cf..6f6df534c 100644
--- a/forum/settings.py
+++ b/forum/settings.py
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@
 CORS_ALLOW_ALL_ORIGINS = False
 
 CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST = [
-    'http://localhost:3000',
+    'http://localhost',
     'http://127.0.0.1',
     'http://0.0.0.0',
+    config('CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST'),
 ]
 
 CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = [
-    'http://localhost:3000',
+    'http://localhost',
     'http://127.0.0.1',
     'http://0.0.0.0',
 ]
diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index 711ec69b4..d77d7aa2e 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#db details
 SECRET_KEY=
 PG_DB=
 PG_USER=
@@ -5,9 +6,13 @@ PG_PASSWORD=
 DB_HOST=
 DB_PORT=
 
+#SMTP
 EMAIL_BACKEND=django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
 EMAIL_HOST=
 EMAIL_PORT=
 EMAIL_USE_TLS=
 EMAIL_HOST_USER=
 EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=
+
+#origin hostnames allowed to make cross-site HTTP requests
+CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST=