instamesh

Instagram Clone - MERN Stack

A full-featured Instagram Clone built using the MERN Stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). This project replicates core social media functionalities such as user authentication, profile management, post sharing, likes, comments, bookmarks, follow/unfollow system, and real-time messaging.

Features

Authentication

• User Registration
• User Login & Logout
• JWT Authentication
• Protected Routes

User Profile

• View User Profile
• Edit Profile
• Upload Profile Picture
• Bio Management

Posts

• Create Post
• Upload Images
• Delete Post
• View All Posts
• View User Posts

Social Features

• Like / Unlike Posts
• Add Comments
• View Comments
• Bookmark / Unbookmark Posts
• Follow / Unfollow Users
• Suggested Users

Messaging

• One-to-One Chat
• Conversation Management
• Message History
• Seen Status Support

Media Handling

• Cloudinary Image Storage
• Image Optimization with Sharp
• Multer File Uploads

Tech Stack

Frontend

• React.js
• Redux Toolkit
• React Router
• Axios
• Tailwind CSS

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JWT Authentication
• Socket.io
• Multer
• Sharp
• Cloudinary

Project Structure

client/
├── src/
├── public/

server/
├── controllers/
├── models/
├── routes/
├── middlewares/
├── utils/
└── config/

Installation

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/instagram-clone.git
cd instagram-clone

Backend Setup

cd server
npm install

Create a .env file:

PORT=8000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Start Backend Server

npm run dev

Frontend Setup

cd client
npm install
npm run dev

API Endpoints

User

POST   /api/v1/user/register
POST   /api/v1/user/login
POST   /api/v1/user/logout
GET    /api/v1/user/profile/:id
PUT    /api/v1/user/profile
POST   /api/v1/user/:id/follow

Posts

POST   /api/v1/post/addpost
GET    /api/v1/post/all
GET    /api/v1/post/user/:id
DELETE /api/v1/post/:id
PUT    /api/v1/post/:id/like
PUT    /api/v1/post/:id/dislike
POST   /api/v1/post/:id/comment
GET    /api/v1/post/:id/comments
PUT    /api/v1/post/:id/bookmark

Messages

GET    /api/v1/message/conversations
GET    /api/v1/message/:id
POST   /api/v1/message/send/:id
PUT    /api/v1/message/seen/:id

Future Improvements

• Group Chats
• Push Notifications
• Story Feature
• Reels Feature
• Video Uploads
• Real-Time Online Status
• Message Reactions
• Email Verification

Author

Rahul Kumar

Computer Science Graduate | MERN Stack Developer

License

This project is for educational and portfolio purposes.