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MongoDB Atlas Setup

MongoNext uses MongoDB Atlas as its cloud database. Follow these steps to set up your Atlas cluster and connect it to your app.

1. Create a MongoDB Atlas Account​

2. Create a New Cluster​

  • Click Build a Database and choose the free tier (Shared Cluster).
  • Select your preferred cloud provider and region.
  • Click Create Cluster (it may take a few minutes).

3. Add a Database User​

  • In the Atlas dashboard, go to Database Access.
  • Click Add New Database User.
  • Set a username and password (save these for your .env.local).
  • Grant Read and Write to any database.

4. Whitelist Your IP Address​

  • Go to Network Access in the Atlas dashboard.
  • Click Add IP Address.
  • For development, you can use 0.0.0.0/0 (allows all IPs), but restrict this in production.

5. Get Your Connection String​

  • In the Atlas dashboard, go to Clusters > Connect > Connect your application.
  • Copy the connection string (it looks like mongodb+srv://<user>:<password>@cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net/<dbname>?retryWrites=true&w=majority).
  • Replace <user>, <password>, and <dbname> with your values.
  • Paste this string as MONGODB_URI in your .env.local file.

6. Test the Connection​

  • Start your app with npm run dev.
  • If the connection is successful, your app will connect to MongoDB Atlas automatically.

Security Tips:

  • Never commit your connection string to version control.
  • Use strong passwords for your database users.
  • Restrict IP access in production to only trusted sources.

Continue to Mongoose Models for details on how data is structured in MongoNext.