myuserjourney

MyUserJourney - AI-Powered Digital Analytics Platform

MyUserJourney is a self-hosted, AI-powered analytics and CMS platform designed for comprehensive user behaviour tracking, SEO analysis, PPC campaign management, and content management. It provides a GA4-style navigation experience while being fully compliant with UK GDPR, UK PECR, EU GDPR, and EU ePrivacy Directives.

Live at: https://myuserjourney.co.uk

The Problem

Businesses today face an impossible choice: use powerful analytics platforms that compromise user privacy and send data to third-party servers, or use privacy-focused alternatives that lack advanced features. Google Analytics 4 raises GDPR adequacy concerns with cross-border data transfers. Microsoft Clarity records sessions without granular consent. Amplitude and Mixpanel charge premium prices that exclude SMEs. None of them offer integrated AI insights, CMS, SEO auditing, and PPC management in a single self-hosted solution.

The Innovation

MyUserJourney eliminates this trade-off by combining enterprise-grade analytics with AI-powered intelligence and full privacy compliance in a single, self-hosted platform. It is the first open-source solution to unify real-time behavioural analytics, predictive AI (churn risk, revenue forecasting, conversion predictions), automated UX auditing, natural language analytics queries, SEO site auditing, PPC campaign management, and a complete CMS — all while maintaining GDPR/PECR compliance by design, not as an afterthought.

Documentation

Document Description
Whitepaper Technical architecture, innovation approach, competitive analysis
Impact Narrative Global impact and real-world problem solving
Leadership Proof Product leadership and innovation ownership
Global Relevance Worldwide applicability and market potential
Innovation Statement Competitive positioning and differentiation
Visual Evidence Guide Screenshot and evidence collection checklist

Table of Contents

Features

Analytics Engine

AI-Powered Features

Marketing & SEO Tools

CMS & Content Management

Privacy & Compliance

Authentication & Security

Tech Stack

Layer Technology
Frontend React 18, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI
State Management TanStack React Query v5
Charts Recharts
Routing Wouter
Backend Node.js, Express.js, TypeScript
Database PostgreSQL
ORM Drizzle ORM
Authentication Passport.js (Local + Google OAuth 2.0)
Email Nodemailer
AI OpenAI API (GPT-4o-mini, configurable provider)
Payments Stripe (automated invoicing)
File Uploads Multer

Project Structure

myuserjourney/
├── client/                    # Frontend React application
│   └── src/
│       ├── components/        # Reusable UI components
│       │   └── ui/            # Shadcn UI components
│       ├── hooks/             # Custom React hooks
│       ├── lib/               # Utility functions & API client
│       └── pages/             # Route page components
│           └── public/        # Public-facing pages
├── server/                    # Backend Express application
│   ├── auth.ts                # Authentication (Passport.js, OAuth, password reset)
│   ├── routes.ts              # API route handlers
│   ├── storage.ts             # Database access layer (CRUD operations)
│   ├── ai-service.ts          # AI/LLM integration service
│   ├── db.ts                  # Database connection
│   ├── index.ts               # Server entry point
│   ├── seed.ts                # Database seed data
│   └── vite.ts                # Vite dev server integration
├── shared/
│   └── schema.ts              # Drizzle ORM schema (27 tables) + Zod validators
├── uploads/                   # User-uploaded files (gitignored)
├── .env.example               # Environment variable template
├── .gitignore                 # Git ignore rules
├── drizzle.config.ts          # Drizzle ORM configuration
├── tailwind.config.ts         # Tailwind CSS configuration
├── vite.config.ts             # Vite build configuration
├── tsconfig.json              # TypeScript configuration
├── package.json               # Dependencies and scripts
├── LICENSE                    # MIT License
├── README.md                  # This file
└── whitepaper.md              # Technical whitepaper

Prerequisites

Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/myuserjourney.git
cd myuserjourney

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your actual values. See Environment Variables for details.

4. Set Up the Database

Ensure PostgreSQL is running, then push the schema:

npm run db:push

This creates all 27 tables defined in shared/schema.ts.

5. Start the Development Server

npm run dev

The application will be available at http://localhost:5000.

Environment Variables

Variable Required Description
DATABASE_URL Yes PostgreSQL connection string
SESSION_SECRET Yes Secret key for session encryption (use a strong random string)
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID No Google OAuth 2.0 Client ID
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET No Google OAuth 2.0 Client Secret
OPENAI_API_KEY No OpenAI API key for AI features
OPENAI_API_BASE_URL No OpenAI API base URL (default: https://api.openai.com/v1)
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY No Stripe secret key for payment processing
STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY No Stripe publishable key
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_DOMAIN No Domain for Stripe webhook endpoint (e.g., https://yourdomain.com)
ADMIN_EMAIL No Email address to auto-promote to admin on startup (recommended for first-time setup)
ADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD No Password for seeded admin account (admin@analytics.io). Min 8 chars. Required only for initial setup.
NODE_ENV No development or production (default: development)
PORT No Server port (default: 5000)

Generate a secure session secret:

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(64).toString('hex'))"

Database Setup

Local PostgreSQL

  1. Install PostgreSQL 14+
  2. Create a database:
CREATE DATABASE myuserjourney;
CREATE USER myuser WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD 'yourpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE myuserjourney TO myuser;
  1. Set DATABASE_URL in your .env:
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://myuser:yourpassword@localhost:5432/myuserjourney
  1. Push the schema:
npm run db:push

Database Schema

The platform uses 27 PostgreSQL tables managed by Drizzle ORM:

Google OAuth Setup

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project or select an existing one
  3. Navigate to APIs & Services > Credentials
  4. Click Create Credentials > OAuth 2.0 Client IDs
  5. Set application type to Web application
  6. Add Authorised JavaScript origins:
    • https://yourdomain.com
    • http://localhost:5000 (for development)
  7. Add Authorised redirect URIs:
    • https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/google/callback
    • http://localhost:5000/api/auth/google/callback (for development)
  8. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret into your .env file

SMTP Configuration

SMTP is configured through the Admin Panel at runtime (no environment variables required):

  1. Log in as an admin user
  2. Navigate to Admin Panel > SMTP Configuration tab
  3. Enter your SMTP server details:
    • Host (e.g., smtp.gmail.com)
    • Port (e.g., 587 for TLS, 465 for SSL)
    • Username and password
    • From name and email address
    • Encryption type (TLS/SSL/None)
  4. Click Test Email to verify the configuration
  5. Enable SMTP by toggling it active

SMTP is used for:

Running Locally

Development Mode

npm run dev

This starts both the Express backend and Vite frontend dev server on port 5000 with hot module replacement.

Type Checking

npm run check

Building for Production

Build

npm run build

This compiles TypeScript and bundles the frontend with Vite.

Start Production Server

npm start

The production server serves the built frontend as static files.

Deployment

Custom Domain Setup

  1. Build the application: npm run build
  2. Deploy to your server (VPS, cloud provider, or PaaS)
  3. Set NODE_ENV=production in your environment
  4. Configure your reverse proxy (nginx/Apache) to forward to port 5000
  5. Set up SSL certificates (e.g., via Let’s Encrypt)
  6. Point your domain’s DNS records to your server

Example nginx Configuration

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name myuserjourney.co.uk;

    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/myuserjourney.co.uk/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/myuserjourney.co.uk/privkey.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Cloud Deployment Options

The application can be deployed to any platform that supports Node.js and PostgreSQL:

Admin Panel

Access the admin panel at /admin (requires admin role).

Tabs

Tab Description
Site Settings Configure site name, tagline, brand colours, social media links
SMTP Configuration Set up email server with test functionality
CMS Pages Create, edit, publish/unpublish pages with SEO metadata
File Manager Upload and manage files with drag-and-drop interface
User Management View users, change roles, activate/deactivate accounts
Contact Submissions Review contact form entries, update status, delete

Creating Your First Admin Account

Option A: Auto-promote via ADMIN_EMAIL (recommended)

Set ADMIN_EMAIL in your .env file:

ADMIN_EMAIL=your@email.com

Register an account with that email address. On each app startup, the user matching ADMIN_EMAIL is automatically promoted to admin. This is the easiest method and requires no database access.

Option B: Seed admin account

Set ADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD in your .env file before first run:

ADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=your-strong-password-here

On first startup, a default admin account is created:

Change this password immediately after first login.

Option C: Promote via SQL

  1. Register a new account via the login page
  2. Promote the user to admin via SQL:
UPDATE users SET role = 'admin' WHERE email = 'your@email.com';
  1. Or use the admin panel’s User Management tab if you already have admin access

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Client (Browser)                      │
│  React 18 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS + Shadcn UI       │
│  TanStack Query for state | Wouter for routing          │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                       │ HTTP/HTTPS
┌──────────────────────▼──────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Express.js Server                       │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌────────────────────┐    │
│  │   Auth   │  │  Routes  │  │   AI Service       │    │
│  │ Passport │  │  REST    │  │   OpenAI API       │    │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └────────────────────┘    │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │              Storage Layer (CRUD)                │    │
│  │         Type-safe Drizzle ORM queries            │    │
│  └──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┘
                          │
┌─────────────────────────▼───────────────────────────────┐
│              PostgreSQL Database                         │
│           27 tables, managed by Drizzle ORM              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

For a detailed technical deep-dive, see whitepaper.md.

API Reference

All API endpoints return JSON. Authenticated endpoints require a valid session cookie (set automatically after login).

Authentication

Method Endpoint Description Auth
POST /api/auth/register Register new account No
POST /api/auth/login Email/password login No
GET /api/auth/google Initiate Google OAuth No
GET /api/auth/google/callback Google OAuth callback No
GET /api/auth/me Get current user Yes
POST /api/auth/logout Log out Yes
POST /api/auth/forgot-password Request password reset No
POST /api/auth/reset-password Reset password with token No

Example: Register

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "user@example.com", "password": "securepass123", "firstName": "John", "lastName": "Doe"}'

Example: Login

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "user@example.com", "password": "securepass123"}'

Response:

{
  "id": "uuid",
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "username": "user",
  "role": "user",
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Doe"
}

Analytics

Method Endpoint Description Auth
POST /api/events Collect tracking event No (uses project ID)
GET /api/projects/:id/stats Dashboard statistics Yes
GET /api/projects/:id/realtime Real-time analytics Yes
GET /api/projects/:id/acquisition Acquisition data Yes
GET /api/projects/:id/engagement Engagement metrics Yes
GET /api/projects/:id/visitors Visitor list Yes
GET /api/projects/:id/events Event stream Yes

Example: Collect Event

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/events \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "projectId": "your-project-id",
    "eventType": "pageview",
    "page": "/pricing",
    "referrer": "https://google.com",
    "visitorId": "visitor-123",
    "sessionId": "session-456"
  }'

CMS (Public - No Authentication Required)

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/public/site-settings Site branding and settings
GET /api/public/pages List published CMS pages
GET /api/public/pages/:slug Get single page by slug
POST /api/public/contact Submit contact form

Example: Submit Contact Form

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/public/contact \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Jane Doe", "email": "jane@example.com", "message": "Hello!"}'

Admin (Requires Admin Role)

Method Endpoint Description
GET/PUT /api/admin/site-settings Manage site settings
GET/PUT /api/admin/smtp Manage SMTP configuration
POST /api/admin/smtp/test Send test email
GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /api/admin/pages Manage CMS pages
GET/POST/DELETE /api/admin/files Manage uploaded files
GET/PUT/DELETE /api/admin/users Manage user accounts
GET/PUT/DELETE /api/admin/contacts Manage contact submissions

Projects

Method Endpoint Description Auth
GET /api/projects List user’s projects Yes
POST /api/projects Create new project Yes
GET /api/projects/:id Get project details Yes
PUT /api/projects/:id Update project Yes
DELETE /api/projects/:id Delete project Yes

AI Features

Method Endpoint Description Auth
POST /api/projects/:id/ai/chat AI analytics chat Yes
POST /api/projects/:id/ai/predict Predictive analytics Yes
POST /api/projects/:id/ai/ux-audit AI UX audit Yes
POST /api/projects/:id/ai/marketing AI marketing copilot Yes

Security Notes

Traction and Validation

Metric Status
GitHub Stars Tracking adoption and community interest
Live Deployment Production at myuserjourney.co.uk with SSL
Users Onboarded Active admin and user accounts in production
Beta Testing Internal testing across analytics, CMS, AI, and compliance features
Database Architecture 27 production tables with full relational integrity
API Endpoints 50+ RESTful endpoints covering analytics, CMS, AI, privacy, and admin
GDPR Compliance Full UK GDPR, UK PECR, EU GDPR, and EU ePrivacy Directive compliance
AI Features Shipped Predictive analytics, UX auditor, marketing copilot, NLP insights
Performance Sub-second API response times, real-time event processing, optimised PostgreSQL queries
Code Quality End-to-end TypeScript, Zod validation, Drizzle ORM type safety, bcrypt authentication

Evidence Portfolio

Supporting evidence for the platform’s capabilities is organised in the evidence/ directory:

evidence/
  screenshots/       Platform UI screenshots (dashboard, AI, admin, privacy)
  whitepaper/         Exported whitepaper and technical documents (PDF)
  architecture/      System diagrams, schema visuals, data flow charts
  demo-videos/       Screen recordings of platform functionality

Refer to the Visual Evidence Guide for a detailed checklist of what to capture and how to present each item.

Future Roadmap

Phase Timeline Features
v1.1 Q2 2026 Heatmaps, scroll depth tracking, A/B testing framework
v1.2 Q3 2026 Multi-tenant SaaS mode, team collaboration, role-based dashboards
v1.3 Q4 2026 Real-time alerting engine, anomaly detection, webhook integrations
v2.0 Q1 2027 Mobile SDK (iOS/Android), server-side tracking, data warehouse connectors
v2.1 Q2 2027 White-label reseller programme, API marketplace, plugin architecture

Contributing

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
  3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add your feature'
  4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/your-feature
  5. Open a Pull Request

Please ensure your code follows the existing style conventions and includes appropriate TypeScript types.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Built with purpose by the MyUserJourney team.

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