Create Your Own Portfolio

• Node.js, nodejs.org → click "LTS" → install. Runs JavaScript on your computer.
• Git, git-scm.com → download and install. Needed to clone the code.
• VS Code (editor), code.visualstudio.com, free, beginner friendly.

npm install

This installs all libraries AND runs a setup script that copies the example files to real files:

• portfolio.example.json → portfolio.json
• resume.example.json → resume.json
• projects.example.json → projects.json

These real files are what the site reads. They are gitignored, your data never goes to GitHub.

cp .env.local.example .env.local

Open .env.local and fill in:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here
PINECONE_API_KEY=your-pinecone-key
PINECONE_INDEX=portfolio
RESEND_API_KEY=re_your-key-here
CONTACT_TO_EMAIL=your.email@gmail.com

npm run dev

Open localhost:3000. Content file changes auto-reload, no restart needed.

See the "Upload to GitHub" section below first, then come back here.

• Go to vercel.com → sign in with GitHub → Add New Project → select your repo → Deploy
• Go to Project → Settings → Environment Variables → add all keys from .env.local
• Click Redeploy, AI chat and email now work on your live site

• Go to github.com → click Sign up
• Enter your email, create a password, and choose a username, this appears in your repo URL, so pick something clean (e.g. your-name)
• Verify your email address before continuing

• Click the + icon (top-right) → New repository
• Repository name: my-portfolio (or any name you like)
• Set visibility to Private ← this is the important one
• Leave all three checkboxes unchecked, no README, no .gitignore, no license. The project already has these; adding them here causes a conflict.
• Click Create repository

In VS Code, press Ctrl + ` (backtick) to open the integrated terminal. Make sure you're inside the portfolio folder, you should see files like package.json when you type ls.

Run these commands one at a time:

git init

This initializes git tracking in your project folder (only needed once).

git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/my-portfolio.git

Replace YOUR-USERNAME and my-portfolio with your GitHub username and repo name. Copy the exact URL from the GitHub page you left open.

Before pushing anything, confirm what's gitignored:

cat .gitignore

You should see these entries, these files will never go to GitHub:

content/portfolio.json
content/resume.json
content/projects.json
.env.local
data/

Now check exactly what will be uploaded:

git status

GitHub no longer accepts regular passwords for git operations. You need a token:

• Go to GitHub → your profile photo (top-right) → Settings
• Scroll the left sidebar all the way down → Developer settings
• Click Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
• Click Generate new token (classic)
• Give it a name (e.g. "portfolio push"), set expiration (90 days or No expiration)
• Check only the repo checkbox
• Click Generate token at the bottom
• Copy the token immediately, GitHub won't show it again

git add .

git commit -m "Initial portfolio setup"

git push -u origin main

If you get an error about "main" not existing, try:

git push -u origin master

When git prompts for login, enter your GitHub username and paste your token as the password.

• Go to github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/my-portfolio
• Confirm content/portfolio.json does NOT appear, only portfolio.example.json should be there
• Confirm .env.local does NOT appear
• The repo header should show a 🔒 Private label

Every time you make updates and want to save them to GitHub:

git add .
git commit -m "describe what you changed"
git push

• Go to your repo → Settings tab (top-right of repo page)
• Scroll all the way down to the Danger Zone section
• Click "Change repository visibility" → select Public → confirm
• Your portfolio source code is now public, but your personal data is still safe, those JSON files are gitignored and won't appear