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Overview

PyqDeck uses UploadThing for handling file uploads. This service provides a secure way to upload files directly from the client (or via the backend) to a cloud storage provider (like AWS S3) without managing the infrastructure or complex multipart parsing yourself.

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Configuration

The system is configured in backend/src/utils/uploadthing.js.

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File Rules

  • Allowed Types: pdf only.
  • Max File Size: 16MB.
  • Max File Count: 1 per request.

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Upload Flow

The “pdfUploader” flow consists of two main stages:

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1. Middleware (Pre-upload)

Before the file is sent to UploadThing, our server verifies the user’s session using Clerk. 
.middleware(async ({ req }) => {
  const user = req.auth;
  if (!user || !user.userId) throw new Error('Unauthorized');
  return { clerkId: user.userId };
})
The returned clerkId is stored as metadata and passed to the next stage.

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2. onUploadComplete (Post-upload)

Once the file is successfully stored in UploadThing’s cloud, they trigger a webhook back to our server.
  • Look up User: We use the clerkId from the metadata to find the internal MongoDB User ID.
  • Save Record: We create a new entry in the Upload collection in MongoDB.

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Data Model (Upload.js)

Each upload is tracked with the following fields:
  • url: The public URL to access the file.
  • publicId: The unique key provided by UploadThing (useful for deletions).
  • mimeType: Always application/pdf for now.
  • size: File size in bytes.
  • uploadedBy: Reference to the User who performed the upload.

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Integration

Uploads are primarily used when creating or updating Paper records. The Upload.id is linked to the paper, allowing users to view the original PDF source.

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Environment Variables

VariableDescription
UPLOADTHING_SECRETSecret key from the UploadThing dashboard.
UPLOADTHING_APP_IDApp ID from the UploadThing dashboard.