added contact form server

backend/.env.example

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Server Configuration
+PORT=3001
+NODE_ENV=development
+
+# Email Configuration (Gmail example)
+EMAIL_SERVICE=gmail
+EMAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
+EMAIL_PORT=587
+EMAIL_SECURE=false
+EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
+EMAIL_PASS=your-app-password
+
+# Recipient Configuration
+RECIPIENT_EMAIL=your-email@gmail.com
+RECIPIENT_NAME=Your Name
+
+# Frontend URL (for CORS)
+FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
+
+# Rate Limiting
+RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=900000
+RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS=5

backend/.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# Dependencies
+node_modules/
+npm-debug.log*
+yarn-debug.log*
+yarn-error.log*
+
+# Environment variables
+.env
+.env.local
+.env.development.local
+.env.test.local
+.env.production.local
+
+# Logs
+logs
+*.log
+npm-debug.log*
+yarn-debug.log*
+yarn-error.log*
+
+# Runtime data
+pids
+*.pid
+*.seed
+*.pid.lock
+
+# Coverage directory used by tools like istanbul
+coverage/
+
+# nyc test coverage
+.nyc_output
+
+# Grunt intermediate storage
+.grunt
+
+# Bower dependency directory
+bower_components
+
+# node-waf configuration
+.lock-wscript
+
+# Compiled binary addons
+build/Release
+
+# Dependency directories
+node_modules/
+jspm_packages/
+
+# Optional npm cache directory
+.npm
+
+# Optional REPL history
+.node_repl_history
+
+# Output of 'npm pack'
+*.tgz
+
+# Yarn Integrity file
+.yarn-integrity
+
+# dotenv environment variables file
+.env
+
+# IDE/Editor files
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+
+# OS generated files
+.DS_Store
+.DS_Store?
+._*
+.Spotlight-V100
+.Trashes
+ehthumbs.db
+Thumbs.db

backend/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+# Portfolio Backend API
+
+A secure Node.js backend API for handling contact form submissions from your portfolio website.
+
+## Features
+
+- 🔒 **Security**: Rate limiting, CORS protection, input validation, spam protection
+- 📧 **Email Integration**: Nodemailer with Gmail/SMTP support
+- ✅ **Validation**: Comprehensive form validation with Joi
+- 🚀 **Performance**: Express.js with async error handling
+- 🛡️ **Anti-Spam**: Honeypot fields and rate limiting
+- 📝 **Logging**: Request/response logging and error tracking
+- 🎨 **Email Templates**: Professional HTML email templates
+
+## Setup Instructions
+
+### 1. Install Dependencies
+
+```bash
+cd backend
+npm install
+```
+
+### 2. Configure Environment
+
+Copy the example environment file and configure your settings:
+
+```bash
+cp .env.example .env
+```
+
+Edit `.env` with your actual configuration:
+
+```env
+# Server Configuration
+PORT=3001
+NODE_ENV=development
+
+# Email Configuration (Gmail example)
+EMAIL_SERVICE=gmail
+EMAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
+EMAIL_PORT=587
+EMAIL_SECURE=false
+EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
+EMAIL_PASS=your-app-password
+
+# Recipient Configuration
+RECIPIENT_EMAIL=your-email@gmail.com
+RECIPIENT_NAME=Your Name
+
+# Frontend URL (for CORS)
+FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
+
+# Rate Limiting
+RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=900000
+RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS=5
+```
+
+### 3. Gmail Setup (Recommended)
+
+1. **Enable 2-Factor Authentication** on your Gmail account
+2. **Generate App Password**:
+   - Go to Google Account settings
+   - Security → 2-Step Verification → App passwords
+   - Generate a password for "Mail"
+   - Use this as `EMAIL_PASS` in your `.env` file
+
+### 4. Alternative Email Providers
+
+**Outlook/Hotmail:**
+
+```env
+EMAIL_SERVICE=hotmail
+EMAIL_HOST=smtp-mail.outlook.com
+EMAIL_PORT=587
+EMAIL_SECURE=false
+```
+
+**Custom SMTP:**
+
+```env
+EMAIL_SERVICE=
+EMAIL_HOST=your-smtp-host.com
+EMAIL_PORT=587
+EMAIL_SECURE=false
+```
+
+### 5. Run the Server
+
+**Development:**
+
+```bash
+npm run dev
+```
+
+**Production:**
+
+```bash
+npm start
+```
+
+### 6. Test the API
+
+Visit: `http://localhost:3001/health` to verify the server is running.
+
+For development, you can test the contact endpoint: `http://localhost:3001/api/contact/test`
+
+## API Endpoints
+
+### Health Check
+
+- **GET** `/health` - Server health status
+
+### Contact Form
+
+- **POST** `/api/contact` - Send contact email
+
+**Request Body:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "firstName": "John",
+  "lastName": "Doe",
+  "email": "john@example.com",
+  "subject": "Project Inquiry",
+  "message": "Hello, I'd like to discuss a project..."
+}
+```
+
+**Response:**
+
+```json
+{
+  "success": true,
+  "message": "Your message has been sent successfully! I'll get back to you soon."
+}
+```
+
+## Security Features
+
+- **Rate Limiting**: 5 requests per 15 minutes per IP
+- **Input Validation**: Joi schema validation for all fields
+- **CORS Protection**: Configurable origin restrictions
+- **Helmet Security**: Security headers
+- **Honeypot Anti-Spam**: Hidden field detection
+- **Request Logging**: IP and user agent tracking
+
+## Deployment Options
+
+### 1. Heroku
+
+```bash
+# Install Heroku CLI, then:
+heroku create your-portfolio-api
+heroku config:set NODE_ENV=production
+heroku config:set EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
+# ... set other environment variables
+git push heroku main
+```
+
+### 2. Railway
+
+```bash
+# Install Railway CLI, then:
+railway login
+railway new
+railway add
+railway up
+```
+
+### 3. DigitalOcean App Platform
+
+- Create new app from GitHub repository
+- Set environment variables in the dashboard
+- Deploy automatically
+
+### 4. Vercel (Serverless)
+
+- Convert Express app to serverless functions
+- Deploy with `vercel` CLI
+
+## Environment Variables Reference
+
+| Variable                  | Description                 | Example                |
+| ------------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------------- |
+| `PORT`                    | Server port                 | `3001`                 |
+| `NODE_ENV`                | Environment                 | `production`           |
+| `EMAIL_SERVICE`           | Email service provider      | `gmail`                |
+| `EMAIL_HOST`              | SMTP host                   | `smtp.gmail.com`       |
+| `EMAIL_PORT`              | SMTP port                   | `587`                  |
+| `EMAIL_SECURE`            | Use SSL/TLS                 | `false`                |
+| `EMAIL_USER`              | Email username              | `your@gmail.com`       |
+| `EMAIL_PASS`              | Email password/app password | `app-password`         |
+| `RECIPIENT_EMAIL`         | Where to send emails        | `your@gmail.com`       |
+| `RECIPIENT_NAME`          | Recipient display name      | `Your Name`            |
+| `FRONTEND_URL`            | Frontend URL for CORS       | `https://yoursite.com` |
+| `RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS`    | Rate limit window           | `900000` (15 min)      |
+| `RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS` | Max requests per window     | `5`                    |
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Email Not Sending
+
+1. Check Gmail app password is correct
+2. Verify 2FA is enabled on Gmail
+3. Check console logs for detailed errors
+4. Test with `/health` endpoint first
+
+### CORS Issues
+
+1. Verify `FRONTEND_URL` matches your frontend domain exactly
+2. Include protocol (http/https) in the URL
+3. No trailing slashes
+
+### Rate Limiting
+
+- Default: 5 requests per 15 minutes per IP
+- Adjust `RATE_LIMIT_*` variables as needed
+- Check IP address in logs for debugging
+
+## Production Checklist
+
+- [ ] Environment variables configured
+- [ ] Email service tested
+- [ ] Rate limiting configured
+- [ ] CORS origins restricted
+- [ ] SSL/HTTPS enabled
+- [ ] Error monitoring setup
+- [ ] Logs configured
+- [ ] Backup strategy in place
+
+## Support
+
+If you encounter issues:
+
+1. Check the console logs
+2. Verify your `.env` configuration
+3. Test email configuration with `/health` endpoint
+4. Ensure your email provider allows SMTP access

backend/middleware/asyncHandler.js

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// Async error handler wrapper
+export const asyncHandler = (fn) => (req, res, next) => {
+  Promise.resolve(fn(req, res, next)).catch(next);
+};

backend/middleware/errorHandlers.js

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+// Error handling middleware
+
+export const errorHandler = (err, req, res, next) => {
+  console.error('Error occurred:', {
+    message: err.message,
+    stack: err.stack,
+    url: req.url,
+    method: req.method,
+    ip: req.ip,
+    userAgent: req.get('User-Agent'),
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+  });
+
+  // Default error
+  let error = {
+    success: false,
+    message: 'Internal server error',
+    ...(process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' && {
+      error: err.message,
+      stack: err.stack,
+    }),
+  };
+
+  // Rate limit error
+  if (err.status === 429) {
+    error = {
+      success: false,
+      message: 'Too many requests. Please try again later.',
+      retryAfter: err.retryAfter,
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Validation errors
+  if (err.name === 'ValidationError') {
+    error = {
+      success: false,
+      message: 'Validation failed',
+      errors: Object.values(err.errors).map((e) => e.message),
+    };
+  }
+
+  // JSON parsing errors
+  if (err instanceof SyntaxError && err.status === 400 && 'body' in err) {
+    error = {
+      success: false,
+      message: 'Invalid JSON in request body',
+    };
+  }
+
+  res.status(err.status || 500).json(error);
+};
+
+export const notFoundHandler = (req, res) => {
+  res.status(404).json({
+    success: false,
+    message: `Route ${req.method} ${req.url} not found`,
+    availableRoutes: {
+      'GET /health': 'Health check endpoint',
+      'POST /api/contact': 'Send contact form email',
+      ...(process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' && {
+        'GET /api/contact/test': 'Test contact API (development only)',
+      }),
+    },
+  });
+};

backend/middleware/logger.js

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Request logging middleware
+export const requestLogger = (req, res, next) => {
+  const start = Date.now();
+
+  // Log request
+  console.log(`📥 ${req.method} ${req.url}`, {
+    ip: req.ip,
+    userAgent: req.get('User-Agent'),
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+  });
+
+  // Log response when finished
+  res.on('finish', () => {
+    const duration = Date.now() - start;
+    const statusEmoji = res.statusCode >= 400 ? '❌' : '✅';
+
+    console.log(
+      `📤 ${statusEmoji} ${req.method} ${req.url} - ${res.statusCode} - ${duration}ms`
+    );
+  });
+
+  next();
+};

backend/middleware/validation.js

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import Joi from 'joi';
+
+// Validation schema for contact form
+const contactSchema = Joi.object({
+  firstName: Joi.string()
+    .trim()
+    .min(1)
+    .max(50)
+    .pattern(/^[a-zA-Z\s\-']+$/)
+    .required()
+    .messages({
+      'string.empty': 'First name is required',
+      'string.min': 'First name must be at least 1 character long',
+      'string.max': 'First name cannot exceed 50 characters',
+      'string.pattern.base':
+        'First name can only contain letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes',
+    }),
+
+  lastName: Joi.string()
+    .trim()
+    .min(1)
+    .max(50)
+    .pattern(/^[a-zA-Z\s\-']+$/)
+    .required()
+    .messages({
+      'string.empty': 'Last name is required',
+      'string.min': 'Last name must be at least 1 character long',
+      'string.max': 'Last name cannot exceed 50 characters',
+      'string.pattern.base':
+        'Last name can only contain letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes',
+    }),
+
+  email: Joi.string()
+    .trim()
+    .email({ minDomainSegments: 2, tlds: { allow: true } })
+    .max(254)
+    .required()
+    .messages({
+      'string.email': 'Please provide a valid email address',
+      'string.empty': 'Email address is required',
+      'string.max': 'Email address is too long',
+    }),
+
+  subject: Joi.string().trim().max(200).allow('').messages({
+    'string.max': 'Subject cannot exceed 200 characters',
+  }),
+
+  message: Joi.string().trim().min(10).max(5000).required().messages({
+    'string.empty': 'Message is required',
+    'string.min': 'Message must be at least 10 characters long',
+    'string.max': 'Message cannot exceed 5000 characters',
+  }),
+
+  // Honeypot field (should be empty)
+  website: Joi.string().allow('').max(0).messages({
+    'string.max': 'Invalid form submission',
+  }),
+});
+
+// Validation middleware
+export const validateContactForm = (req, res, next) => {
+  const { error, value } = contactSchema.validate(req.body, {
+    abortEarly: false,
+    stripUnknown: true,
+    convert: true,
+  });
+
+  if (error) {
+    const errors = error.details.map((detail) => ({
+      field: detail.path[0],
+      message: detail.message,
+    }));
+
+    return res.status(400).json({
+      success: false,
+      message: 'Validation failed',
+      errors,
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Replace req.body with validated and sanitized data
+  req.body = value;
+  next();
+};

backend/package.json

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "name": "portfolio-backend",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Backend API for portfolio contact form",
+  "main": "server.js",
+  "type": "module",
+  "scripts": {
+    "dev": "nodemon server.js",
+    "start": "node server.js",
+    "build": "echo 'No build step needed for Node.js'",
+    "test": "echo 'No tests yet'"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "express": "^4.18.2",
+    "nodemailer": "^6.9.7",
+    "cors": "^2.8.5",
+    "helmet": "^7.1.0",
+    "express-rate-limit": "^7.1.5",
+    "joi": "^17.11.0",
+    "dotenv": "^16.3.1"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "nodemon": "^3.0.2"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+  }
+}

backend/routes/contact.js

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import express from 'express';
+import { sendContactEmail } from '../services/emailService.js';
+import { validateContactForm } from '../middleware/validation.js';
+import { asyncHandler } from '../middleware/asyncHandler.js';
+
+const router = express.Router();
+
+// POST /api/contact - Send contact form email
+router.post(
+  '/',
+  validateContactForm,
+  asyncHandler(async (req, res) => {
+    const { firstName, lastName, email, subject, message } = req.body;
+
+    // Check for honeypot (if present in body)
+    if (req.body.website && req.body.website.trim() !== '') {
+      console.warn('Spam detected: honeypot field filled', {
+        ip: req.ip,
+        email,
+      });
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        success: false,
+        message: 'Invalid form submission detected.',
+      });
+    }
+
+    try {
+      // Send the email
+      await sendContactEmail({
+        firstName,
+        lastName,
+        email,
+        subject: subject || 'New Portfolio Contact',
+        message,
+        senderIP: req.ip,
+        userAgent: req.get('User-Agent'),
+      });
+
+      console.log('Contact email sent successfully', {
+        from: email,
+        name: `${firstName} ${lastName}`,
+        subject: subject || 'New Portfolio Contact',
+        ip: req.ip,
+      });
+
+      res.json({
+        success: true,
+        message:
+          "Your message has been sent successfully! I'll get back to you soon.",
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Failed to send contact email:', error);
+
+      res.status(500).json({
+        success: false,
+        message:
+          'Sorry, there was an error sending your message. Please try again later.',
+      });
+    }
+  })
+);
+
+// GET /api/contact/test - Test endpoint (development only)
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+  router.get('/test', (req, res) => {
+    res.json({
+      message: 'Contact API is working!',
+      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+      environment: process.env.NODE_ENV,
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+export { router as contactRouter };

backend/server.js

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import express from 'express';
+import cors from 'cors';
+import helmet from 'helmet';
+import rateLimit from 'express-rate-limit';
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import { dirname, join } from 'path';
+import { contactRouter } from './routes/contact.js';
+import { errorHandler, notFoundHandler } from './middleware/errorHandlers.js';
+import { requestLogger } from './middleware/logger.js';
+import { initializeEmailService } from './services/emailService.js';
+
+// Get the directory of the current module
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
+
+// Load environment variables from the backend directory
+dotenv.config({ path: join(__dirname, '.env') });
+
+async function startServer() {
+  // Initialize email service after environment variables are loaded
+  await initializeEmailService();
+
+  const app = express();
+  const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3001;
+
+  // Security middleware
+  app.use(
+    helmet({
+      crossOriginResourcePolicy: { policy: 'cross-origin' },
+    })
+  );
+
+  // CORS configuration
+  app.use(
+    cors({
+      origin: process.env.FRONTEND_URL || 'http://localhost:5173',
+      methods: ['GET', 'POST'],
+      allowedHeaders: ['Content-Type', 'Authorization'],
+      credentials: true,
+    })
+  );
+
+  // Rate limiting
+  const limiter = rateLimit({
+    windowMs: parseInt(process.env.RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS) || 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+    max: parseInt(process.env.RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS) || 5, // limit each IP to 5 requests per windowMs
+    message: {
+      error: 'Too many requests from this IP, please try again later.',
+      retryAfter: Math.ceil(
+        (parseInt(process.env.RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS) || 15 * 60 * 1000) / 1000
+      ),
+    },
+    standardHeaders: true,
+    legacyHeaders: false,
+  });
+
+  app.use('/api/', limiter);
+
+  // Body parsing middleware
+  app.use(express.json({ limit: '10mb' }));
+  app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true, limit: '10mb' }));
+
+  // Request logging
+  app.use(requestLogger);
+
+  // Health check endpoint
+  app.get('/health', (req, res) => {
+    res.json({
+      status: 'ok',
+      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+      environment: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development',
+    });
+  });
+
+  // API routes
+  app.use('/api/contact', contactRouter);
+
+  // Error handling middleware
+  app.use(notFoundHandler);
+  app.use(errorHandler);
+
+  // Start server
+  app.listen(PORT, () => {
+    console.log(`🚀 Server is running on port ${PORT}`);
+    console.log(
+      `📧 Email service: ${process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE || 'Not configured'}`
+    );
+    console.log(`🌍 Environment: ${process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'}`);
+    console.log(
+      `🔗 Frontend URL: ${process.env.FRONTEND_URL || 'http://localhost:5173'}`
+    );
+  });
+
+  // Graceful shutdown
+  process.on('SIGTERM', () => {
+    console.log('SIGTERM signal received: closing HTTP server');
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+
+  process.on('SIGINT', () => {
+    console.log('SIGINT signal received: closing HTTP server');
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+}
+
+// Start the server
+startServer().catch((error) => {
+  console.error('Failed to start server:', error);
+  process.exit(1);
+});

backend/services/emailService.js

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+import nodemailer from 'nodemailer';
+import { createContactEmailTemplate } from '../templates/emailTemplates.js';
+
+// Create email transporter
+const createTransporter = () => {
+  const config = {
+    service: process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE,
+    auth: {
+      user: process.env.EMAIL_USER,
+      pass: process.env.EMAIL_PASS,
+    },
+  };
+
+  // If not using a predefined service, use custom SMTP settings
+  if (!process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE || process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE === 'custom') {
+    delete config.service;
+    config.host = process.env.EMAIL_HOST;
+    config.port = parseInt(process.env.EMAIL_PORT) || 587;
+    config.secure = process.env.EMAIL_SECURE === 'true';
+  }
+
+  return nodemailer.createTransport(config);
+};
+
+// Verify email configuration
+export const verifyEmailConfig = async () => {
+  try {
+    console.log('🔍 Debug - Creating transporter with config:');
+    console.log('EMAIL_SERVICE:', process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE);
+    console.log('EMAIL_USER:', process.env.EMAIL_USER);
+    console.log(
+      'EMAIL_PASS length:',
+      process.env.EMAIL_PASS ? process.env.EMAIL_PASS.length : 'undefined'
+    );
+
+    const transporter = createTransporter();
+    await transporter.verify();
+    console.log('✅ Email configuration verified successfully');
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('❌ Email configuration verification failed:', error.message);
+    console.error('Full error:', error);
+    return false;
+  }
+};
+
+// Send contact form email
+export const sendContactEmail = async ({
+  firstName,
+  lastName,
+  email,
+  subject,
+  message,
+  senderIP,
+  userAgent,
+}) => {
+  const transporter = createTransporter();
+
+  const fullName = `${firstName} ${lastName}`;
+  const emailSubject = `[Portfolio Contact] ${subject}`;
+
+  // Create email content
+  const emailTemplate = createContactEmailTemplate({
+    fullName,
+    email,
+    subject,
+    message,
+    senderIP,
+    userAgent,
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+  });
+
+  // Email options
+  const mailOptions = {
+    from: {
+      name: fullName,
+      address: process.env.EMAIL_USER, // Use your email as the sender
+    },
+    to: {
+      name: process.env.RECIPIENT_NAME || 'Portfolio Owner',
+      address: process.env.RECIPIENT_EMAIL,
+    },
+    replyTo: {
+      name: fullName,
+      address: email, // This allows you to reply directly to the sender
+    },
+    subject: emailSubject,
+    html: emailTemplate.html,
+    text: emailTemplate.text,
+    headers: {
+      'X-Priority': '1',
+      'X-MSMail-Priority': 'High',
+      Importance: 'high',
+    },
+  };
+
+  // Send the email
+  try {
+    const result = await transporter.sendMail(mailOptions);
+    console.log('Email sent successfully:', result.messageId);
+    return result;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to send email:', error);
+    throw new Error(`Email sending failed: ${error.message}`);
+  }
+};
+
+// Initialize email service (verify configuration on startup)
+export const initializeEmailService = async () => {
+  console.log('🔧 Initializing email service...');
+  const isValid = await verifyEmailConfig();
+
+  if (!isValid) {
+    console.warn(
+      '⚠️  Email service not properly configured. Check your .env file.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  return isValid;
+};

backend/templates/emailTemplates.js

@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+// Email templates for contact form submissions
+
+export const createContactEmailTemplate = ({
+  fullName,
+  email,
+  subject,
+  message,
+  senderIP,
+  userAgent,
+  timestamp,
+}) => {
+  // HTML template
+  const html = `
+    <!DOCTYPE html>
+    <html lang="en">
+    <head>
+        <meta charset="UTF-8">
+        <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
+        <title>New Portfolio Contact</title>
+        <style>
+            body {
+                font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif;
+                line-height: 1.6;
+                color: #333;
+                max-width: 600px;
+                margin: 0 auto;
+                padding: 20px;
+                background-color: #f8f9fa;
+            }
+            .container {
+                background-color: white;
+                padding: 30px;
+                border-radius: 8px;
+                box-shadow: 0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
+            }
+            .header {
+                border-bottom: 3px solid #007bff;
+                padding-bottom: 20px;
+                margin-bottom: 30px;
+            }
+            .header h1 {
+                margin: 0;
+                color: #007bff;
+                font-size: 24px;
+            }
+            .field {
+                margin-bottom: 20px;
+            }
+            .field-label {
+                font-weight: 600;
+                color: #495057;
+                margin-bottom: 5px;
+                display: block;
+            }
+            .field-value {
+                background-color: #f8f9fa;
+                padding: 10px 15px;
+                border-left: 4px solid #007bff;
+                border-radius: 4px;
+                word-break: break-word;
+            }
+            .message-content {
+                background-color: #fff3cd;
+                border: 1px solid #ffeaa7;
+                padding: 20px;
+                border-radius: 6px;
+                white-space: pre-wrap;
+                font-family: Georgia, serif;
+                line-height: 1.8;
+            }
+            .metadata {
+                margin-top: 30px;
+                padding-top: 20px;
+                border-top: 1px solid #dee2e6;
+                font-size: 14px;
+                color: #6c757d;
+            }
+            .reply-info {
+                background-color: #e7f3ff;
+                border: 1px solid #b3d9ff;
+                padding: 15px;
+                border-radius: 6px;
+                margin-top: 20px;
+            }
+            .reply-info strong {
+                color: #0056b3;
+            }
+        </style>
+    </head>
+    <body>
+        <div class="container">
+            <div class="header">
+                <h1>🚀 New Portfolio Contact</h1>
+                <p>You've received a new message through your portfolio contact form!</p>
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="field">
+                <span class="field-label">👤 From:</span>
+                <div class="field-value"><strong>${fullName}</strong></div>
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="field">
+                <span class="field-label">📧 Email:</span>
+                <div class="field-value"><a href="mailto:${email}" style="color: #007bff; text-decoration: none;">${email}</a></div>
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="field">
+                <span class="field-label">📋 Subject:</span>
+                <div class="field-value">${subject}</div>
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="field">
+                <span class="field-label">💬 Message:</span>
+                <div class="message-content">${message}</div>
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="reply-info">
+                <strong>💡 Quick Reply:</strong> You can reply directly to this email to respond to ${fullName}.
+            </div>
+            
+            <div class="metadata">
+                <p><strong>📅 Received:</strong> ${new Date(
+                  timestamp
+                ).toLocaleString()}</p>
+                <p><strong>🌐 IP Address:</strong> ${senderIP}</p>
+                <p><strong>🔧 User Agent:</strong> ${
+                  userAgent || 'Not provided'
+                }</p>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    </body>
+    </html>
+  `;
+
+  // Plain text version
+  const text = `
+NEW PORTFOLIO CONTACT
+=====================
+
+From: ${fullName}
+Email: ${email}
+Subject: ${subject}
+
+Message:
+--------
+${message}
+
+Metadata:
+---------
+Received: ${new Date(timestamp).toLocaleString()}
+IP Address: ${senderIP}
+User Agent: ${userAgent || 'Not provided'}
+
+You can reply directly to this email to respond to the sender.
+  `;
+
+  return { html, text };
+};

backend/test-email.js

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import nodemailer from 'nodemailer';
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import { dirname, join } from 'path';
+
+// Get the directory of the current module
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
+
+// Load environment variables
+dotenv.config({ path: join(__dirname, '.env') });
+
+console.log('Testing Gmail configuration...');
+console.log('EMAIL_USER:', process.env.EMAIL_USER);
+console.log(
+  'EMAIL_PASS length:',
+  process.env.EMAIL_PASS ? process.env.EMAIL_PASS.length : 'undefined'
+);
+
+const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
+  service: 'gmail',
+  auth: {
+    user: process.env.EMAIL_USER,
+    pass: process.env.EMAIL_PASS,
+  },
+});
+
+transporter
+  .verify()
+  .then(() => {
+    console.log('✅ Gmail connection successful!');
+    process.exit(0);
+  })
+  .catch((error) => {
+    console.error('❌ Gmail connection failed:');
+    console.error('Error code:', error.code);
+    console.error('Error message:', error.message);
+    console.error('Response:', error.response);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });

src/components/sections/ContactSection.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Mail, Github, Linkedin } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useState } from 'react';
 import type { FormEvent } from 'react';
 import { personalConfig, getObfuscatedEmail, createEmailLink } from '../../config/personal';
+import { getApiUrl, ENDPOINTS } from '../../config/api';
 
 interface ContactSectionProps {
   title?: string;
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ export default function ContactSection({
   // Anti-spam honeypot state
   const [honeypot, setHoneypot] = useState('');
   const [isSubmitting, setIsSubmitting] = useState(false);
+  const [formStatus, setFormStatus] = useState<{
+    type: 'success' | 'error' | null;
+    message: string;
+  }>({ type: null, message: '' });
 
   // Email obfuscation function using config
   const handleEmailClick = (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
@@ -37,6 +42,11 @@ export default function ContactSection({
     // Check honeypot - if filled, it's likely spam
     if (honeypot) {
       console.warn('Spam detected - honeypot field was filled');
+      setFormStatus({
+        type: 'error',
+        message: 'Invalid form submission detected.'
+      });
+      setIsSubmitting(false);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -46,6 +56,7 @@ export default function ContactSection({
     }
 
     setIsSubmitting(true);
+    setFormStatus({ type: null, message: '' }); // Clear previous status
 
     // Get form data
     const formData = new FormData(e.currentTarget);
@@ -59,7 +70,10 @@ export default function ContactSection({
 
     // Basic validation
     if (!data.firstName || !data.lastName || !data.email || !data.message) {
-      alert('Please fill in all required fields.');
+      setFormStatus({
+        type: 'error',
+        message: 'Please fill in all required fields.'
+      });
       setIsSubmitting(false);
       return;
     }
@@ -67,36 +81,104 @@ export default function ContactSection({
     // Email validation
     const emailRegex = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/;
     if (!emailRegex.test(data.email)) {
-      alert('Please enter a valid email address.');
+      setFormStatus({
+        type: 'error',
+        message: 'Please enter a valid email address.'
+      });
       setIsSubmitting(false);
       return;
     }
 
     try {
-      // Submit to Formspree (replace YOUR_FORM_ID with actual ID from Formspree)
+      // Submit to your own backend API
-      const response = await fetch('https://formspree.io/f/YOUR_FORM_ID', {
+      const apiUrl = `${getApiUrl()}${ENDPOINTS.contact}`;
+      const response = await fetch(apiUrl, {
         method: 'POST',
         headers: {
           'Content-Type': 'application/json',
         },
         body: JSON.stringify({
-          name: `${data.firstName} ${data.lastName}`,
+          firstName: data.firstName,
+          lastName: data.lastName,
           email: data.email,
           subject: data.subject || 'Contact from Portfolio',
           message: data.message,
-          _replyto: data.email, // This tells Formspree what email to reply to
+          website: honeypot, // Include honeypot for spam detection
         }),
       });
 
-      if (response.ok) {
+      const result = await response.json();
-        alert('Thank you for your message! I\'ll get back to you soon.');
+
+      if (result.success) {
+        setFormStatus({
+          type: 'success',
+          message: result.message
+        });
         e.currentTarget.reset();
+        setHoneypot(''); // Reset honeypot
+
+        // Clear success message after 5 seconds
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          setFormStatus({ type: null, message: '' });
+        }, 5000);
       } else {
-        throw new Error('Form submission failed');
+        // Handle different types of server errors
+        let errorMessage = 'Form submission failed';
+
+        if (response.status === 400) {
+          if (result.errors && Array.isArray(result.errors)) {
+            // Validation errors from server
+            const validationErrors = result.errors.map((err: any) =>
+              typeof err === 'object' ? err.message : err
+            ).join(', ');
+            errorMessage = `Validation errors: ${validationErrors}`;
+          } else if (result.message) {
+            errorMessage = result.message;
+          } else {
+            errorMessage = 'Please check your form data and try again.';
+          }
+        } else if (response.status === 429) {
+          errorMessage = 'Too many requests. Please wait a moment and try again.';
+        } else if (response.status === 500) {
+          errorMessage = 'Server error. Our team has been notified. Please try again later.';
+        } else if (result.message) {
+          errorMessage = result.message;
+        }
+
+        throw new Error(errorMessage);
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Form submission error:', error);
-      alert('Sorry, there was an error sending your message. Please try again.');
+
+      let userMessage = 'Sorry, there was an error sending your message.';
+
+      if (error instanceof Error) {
+        // Network errors
+        if (error.message.includes('Failed to fetch') || error.message.includes('NetworkError')) {
+          userMessage = 'Network error: Please check your internet connection and try again.';
+        }
+        // Timeout errors
+        else if (error.message.includes('timeout')) {
+          userMessage = 'Request timeout: The server is taking too long to respond. Please try again.';
+        }
+        // CORS errors
+        else if (error.message.includes('CORS')) {
+          userMessage = 'Connection error: Please refresh the page and try again.';
+        }
+        // Server validation errors or custom error messages
+        else if (error.message.length > 0 && !error.message.includes('Form submission failed')) {
+          userMessage = error.message;
+        }
+        // Generic fallback
+        else {
+          userMessage = 'Unexpected error occurred. Please try again or contact us directly.';
+        }
+      }
+
+      setFormStatus({
+        type: 'error',
+        message: userMessage
+      });
     }
 
     setIsSubmitting(false);
@@ -175,6 +257,15 @@ export default function ContactSection({
               </p>
             </div>
 
+            {/* Status Message Display */}
+            {formStatus.type && (
+              <div className={`contact-section__status contact-section__status--${formStatus.type}`}>
+                <p className="contact-section__status-message">
+                  {formStatus.message}
+                </p>
+              </div>
+            )}
+
             <form className="contact-section__form" onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
               {/* Honeypot field - hidden from users but visible to bots */}
               <div className="contact-section__honeypot">

src/config/api.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// API configuration for different environments
+type Environment = 'development' | 'production';
+
+const API_CONFIG: Record<Environment, { baseURL: string }> = {
+  development: {
+    baseURL: 'http://localhost:3002',
+  },
+  production: {
+    baseURL: 'https://your-backend-api.herokuapp.com', // Update with your actual backend URL
+  },
+};
+
+export const getApiUrl = (): string => {
+  const isDev = import.meta.env.DEV;
+  const environment: Environment = isDev ? 'development' : 'production';
+  return API_CONFIG[environment].baseURL;
+};
+
+export const ENDPOINTS = {
+  contact: '/api/contact',
+  health: '/health',
+};

src/scss/sections/contact-section.scss

@@ -151,6 +151,32 @@
     font-size: 0.875rem;
   }
 
+  // Status Message Styles
+  &__status {
+    padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+    border-radius: 0.5rem;
+    margin-bottom: 1rem;
+    font-size: 0.875rem;
+    font-weight: 500;
+
+    &--success {
+      background-color: var(--contact-status-success-bg);
+      border: 1px solid var(--contact-status-success-border);
+      color: var(--contact-status-success-text);
+    }
+
+    &--error {
+      background-color: var(--contact-status-error-bg);
+      border: 1px solid var(--contact-status-error-border);
+      color: var(--contact-status-error-text);
+    }
+  }
+
+  &__status-message {
+    margin: 0;
+    line-height: 1.4;
+  }
+
   &__form {
     padding: 0 1.5rem 1.5rem;
     display: flex;

src/scss/themes/_contact.scss

@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ $contact-light-theme: (
   'contact-social-text': #4b5563,
   'contact-social-border': rgba(79, 70, 229, 0.2),
   'contact-social-hover-bg': #ffffff,
-  'contact-social-hover-border': rgba(79, 70, 229, 0.3)
+  'contact-social-hover-border': rgba(79, 70, 229, 0.3),
+  // Status message styling (light theme)
+  'contact-status-success-bg': #dcfce7,
+  'contact-status-success-border': #16a34a,
+  'contact-status-success-text': #15803d,
+  'contact-status-error-bg': #fef2f2,
+  'contact-status-error-border': #dc2626,
+  'contact-status-error-text': #dc2626
 );
 
 $contact-dark-theme: (
@@ -58,5 +65,12 @@ $contact-dark-theme: (
   'contact-social-text': #e5e7eb,
   'contact-social-border': rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.3),
   'contact-social-hover-bg': #374151,
-  'contact-social-hover-border': rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.4)
+  'contact-social-hover-border': rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.4),
+  // Status message styling (dark theme)
+  'contact-status-success-bg': rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.1),
+  'contact-status-success-border': #22c55e,
+  'contact-status-success-text': #4ade80,
+  'contact-status-error-bg': rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.1),
+  'contact-status-error-border': #ef4444,
+  'contact-status-error-text': #f87171
 );