# Deployment Guide

This guide details the process for deploying the Encord application to a production environment. Given the decoupled architecture (React Frontend + Supabase Backend), deployment involves two distinct, critical stages.

### 1. Backend Deployment (Supabase)

The backend is fully managed by the Supabase platform, but requires critical configuration of the database schema and security policies.

#### 1.1. Project Initialization

1. **Supabase Project Creation**: Create a new project within the Supabase dashboard. Note the **Project URL** and the **Anon Public Key**.
2. **Database Migration**: Execute all SQL migration files located in the local project's `/supabase/migrations` directory against the new Supabase PostgreSQL instance. This step creates the `users`, `conversations`, and `messages` tables, along with all necessary indices and foreign key constraints.
3. **Function and Trigger Setup**: Ensure that custom PostgreSQL functions (e.g., `get_or_create_conversation`, `increment_points`) are correctly defined and installed, typically by including them in the migration scripts.
4. **Row Level Security (RLS) Activation**: **MANDATORY**: Verify that Row Level Security is enabled on all core tables (`users`, `conversations`, `messages`) and that the associated policies are active. This is the primary security mechanism protecting data integrity.

#### 1.2. Environment Variables

Ensure the production environment variables match the Supabase project configuration:

* `VITE_SUPABASE_URL`: The production URL of the Supabase instance.
* `VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY`: The production anonymous key.

### 2. Frontend Deployment (Vite/React)

The React single-page application (SPA) can be deployed to any static site hosting service (e.g., Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages) or a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for low-latency global access.

#### 2.1. Build Process

The application must be compiled for production using the Vite build tool.

1. **Set Production Variables**: Ensure the production environment variables are correctly injected into the build process.
2. **Execute Build Command**:

   ```
   npm run build
   ```
3. **Artifact Generation**: This command generates the optimized static assets (HTML, CSS, bundled JavaScript) in the `dist` directory.

#### 2.2. Hosting Configuration

1. **Deployment**: Upload the contents of the `dist` directory to the chosen static hosting provider.
2. **Single-Page Application (SPA) Routing**: Configure the hosting service to redirect all unmatched routes to the `index.html` file. This is crucial for client-side routing, preventing 404 errors when a user navigates directly to a sub-route (e.g., `/chat/123`).
3. **HTTPS Enforcement**: **MANDATORY**: Ensure that the deployed application is served exclusively over HTTPS. All cryptographic operations, especially key generation and proof validation, require a secure context.


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