Backend Guide

The Sports Live Tracker backend provides a scalable, secure, and performant API for delivering live sports data, user preferences, and reporting functionality.

Backend Technology Stack

Node.js + Express → RESTful API framework.
MongoDB → Stores matches, events, users, and reports.
Clerk → Authentication and user identity management.
Render → Cloud platform for deployment with auto-scaling and HTTPS.

Key Features

Auto-scaling API endpoints that handle traffic spikes automatically
Built-in HTTPS and global CDN distribution
Zero server management - focus on code, not infrastructure
Cost-effective pay-per-request pricing
Excellent performance with edge computing

API Structure

All API endpoints are located in the /api folder:

Endpoint	Purpose
`api/matches.js`	Fetch live/upcoming matches
`api/players.js`	Fetch player information
`api/teams.js`	Fetch team information
`api/standings.js`	Fetch league standings
`api/users.js`	Handle user preferences (favorites)
`api/reports.js`	Create, fetch, and manage reports
`api/status.js`	Health check endpoint
`api/uptime.js`	System uptime monitoring

Authentication

Clerk provides user authentication and session management.
Clerk session tokens are validated by backend middleware.
Sensitive endpoints (/api/reports, /api/users) are protected by authentication checks.
Only authenticated users can create reports or manage favorites.

Real-time Capabilities

The backend supports real-time updates:

Polling: Frontend regularly fetches fresh data from endpoints
Webhooks: External services can trigger immediate updates
Caching: Intelligent caching of static and dynamic responses for optimal performance

Running the Backend

For development with live API calls:

npm run dev

Why this setup Works Great

Scalable: Render handles automatic scaling of instances
Global Distribution: CDN ensures low latency worldwide
Real-time Ready: Supports polling, webhooks, and cached responses
Developer Friendly: Simple local dev, build, and deploy workflow
Cost Efficient: Pay only for active usage
Persistent Storage: MongoDB stores matches, events, users, and reports

API Best Practices

Use RESTful conventions: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
Keep responses consistent and JSON-formatted
Validate input data for all POST/PUT endpoints
Protect sensitive endpoints with Clerk authentication
Use caching and rate-limiting to optimize performance

References

Render Docs: https://render.com/docs
Express Docs: https://expressjs.com
Node.js Docs: [ttps://nodejs.org/docs](ttps://nodejs.org/docs
MongoDB Docs: https://www.mongodb.com/docs
MongoDB Node.js Driver: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/drivers/node/current
Read about how-to guides in the Diátaxis framework