LinkDen
Getting Started

Configuration

Set up environment variables and authentication for your LinkDen instance.

⚙️ Configuration

LinkDen keeps its .env file minimal on purpose. You only need five environment variables to get running. Everything else -- email, CAPTCHA, branding, and more -- is configured through the admin panel and stored in the database.

⚡ TL;DR

  • Required: 5 variables (BETTER_AUTH_SECRET, BETTER_AUTH_URL, CORS_ORIGIN, NEXT_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL, NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL).
  • Config Location: Most settings are in /admin/settings (DB), not .env.
  • Auth: Built-in email/password (Better Auth). No external provider needed.

1. 🔑 Environment Variables

Create your .env file from the example:

cp .env.example .env

Required Variables Checklist

  • BETTER_AUTH_SECRET - Private. Signs session cookies.
  • BETTER_AUTH_URL - Public. URL where the API server runs.
  • CORS_ORIGIN - Public. URL where the web frontend runs.
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL - Public. Same as BETTER_AUTH_URL.
  • NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL - Public. URL of the site itself (used for robots.txt, sitemap.xml, and Open Graph links).

Generating a Secret

Run this to generate a strong, random secret:

openssl rand -base64 32

Paste the output as your BETTER_AUTH_SECRET. Use a different secret for production.

2. 📝 Examples

💻 Local Development

BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-generated-secret
BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:3001
NEXT_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=http://localhost:3001

🌍 Production

SITE_DOMAIN=links.yourdomain.com
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-production-secret
BETTER_AUTH_URL=https://links.yourdomain.com
CORS_ORIGIN=https://links.yourdomain.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL=https://links.yourdomain.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=https://links.yourdomain.com

Tip: In production all four URLs are the same hostname. The web app owns SITE_DOMAIN and the API is routed under it at /api/* and /trpc/*, so there is no separate API domain. Locally the API (:3000) and web app (:3001) are different origins, which is why the local values differ. See Environment Variables for the deploy-only variables.

3. 🔐 Authentication

LinkDen uses email and password authentication.

  • 🚫 No OAuth needed.
  • 🚫 No external auth service needed.

How it works:

  1. Navigate to /admin/setup.
  2. Create your admin account.
  3. The first user becomes the admin.
  4. Registration locks automatically.
  5. Sign in at /admin/login.

Note: Unauthenticated visitors only see your public link page.

4. 🎛️ Admin Settings (Runtime Config)

Most configuration lives in the admin panel (/admin/design for the page, /admin/settings for account, email, integrations, wallet and data), not in environment variables. This means you can change settings without redeploying:

  • 📧 Email provider -- Resend or Cloudflare Email Workers.
  • 🛡️ CAPTCHA -- Cloudflare Turnstile or Google reCAPTCHA.
  • 🏷️ Branding -- Whitelabel footer text, link, logo, site name, and admin panel branding.
  • 📇 vCard -- Enable or disable the downloadable contact card.
  • 🍏 Apple Wallet -- Team ID, Pass Type ID, and custom QR URL.
  • 🔍 SEO -- Page title, meta description, and OG image.
  • 🗺️ MapKit -- Apple Maps embed token for Location blocks (optional).
  • 🍪 Consent Banner -- Optional privacy/cookie notice shown at the bottom of your public page.
  • 🖥️ Admin Branding -- Show or hide LinkDen branding inside the admin panel itself.

Next Steps

Installation

Clone the repository, install dependencies, and get LinkDen running locally.

Blocks

Add links, headers, embeds, social icons, forms, vCard buttons, and location maps to your page with the drag-and-drop builder.

On this page

⚙️ Configuration⚡ TL;DR1. 🔑 Environment VariablesRequired Variables ChecklistGenerating a Secret2. 📝 Examples💻 Local Development🌍 Production3. 🔐 AuthenticationHow it works:4. 🎛️ Admin Settings (Runtime Config)Next Steps