Hosting notes

Two config files, two different jobs:

• The root vercel.json uses the legacy builds/routes syntax to run backend/index.js as a Node function and route every path to it. It says nothing about the frontend.
• frontend/vercel.json is a single SPA rewrite: any path without a dot serves /, so React Router owns deep links.

Neither file provisions MongoDB, Redis, Cloudinary, or mail — those stay external services with environment variables.

Can Socket.io run in that setup?Copy Anchor Link

Honestly: only with caveats. Vercel Functions serve WebSocket connections (Public Beta since June 2026, last verified 2026-10-11), and Socket.IO is listed as supported — but connections are pinned to one function instance up to its maximum duration, reconnects may land on a different instance, and clients must handle reconnects. The repo's Redis adapter is exactly the right shock absorber for that world, and the socket client already reconnects with backoff. The code comments also reference Render (uptime-ping health endpoints, proxy trust, cross-site cookie notes), so the author has clearly run the backend on a long-lived host too.

This project does not claim where the author hosts DevConnect, and the legacy builds syntax in the root config predates the current functions-based configuration style.

Last verified 2026-10-11. Official references:

• WebSockets on Vercel Functions
• Do Vercel Serverless Functions support WebSocket connections?
• Socket.IO troubleshooting on serverless

Sources: vercel.json, frontend/vercel.json, backend/index.js, frontend/src/services/apiClient.js (documented at commit cdef8af)