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💘 Dating Web Application — Technical Specification
Document Version: 1.0
Prepared For: Development & Product Team
Date: 2025-10-16
Project Type: Web-based Dating Platform (MVP → Scalable)
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1. Overview
The platform enables users to discover and connect with compatible individuals through profiles, preferences, and AI-assisted matching.
Users can like, match, and chat securely within the app.
The MVP will support:
•	User registration, login, and profile management
•	Preference-based match discovery
•	Mutual-match messaging
•	Profile moderation and reporting
•	Subscription-based monetization
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2. Objectives
1.	Deliver a secure, scalable web application to connect compatible users.
2.	Provide an intuitive, modern user interface optimized for both desktop and mobile browsers.
3.	Ensure user privacy, trust, and safety via moderation and compliance with POPIA & GDPR.
4.	Integrate monetization through subscriptions and optional profile boosts.
5.	Lay the technical foundation for future expansion (mobile app, AI matching, real-time chat).
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3. Target Audience
•	Adults (18+) seeking casual or long-term relationships
•	Regional focus: South Africa (POPIA compliant), scalable to global audience
•	Inclusive of all genders and orientations
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4. Functional Requirements
4.1 User Management
Features:
•	Register (email & password, optional social login)
•	Login / Logout / Password reset
•	Email verification
•	Account deletion & data export (for compliance)
•	Session management (JWT-based)
User Data Captured:
•	Email (unique)
•	Name / Display name
•	Date of birth
•	Gender & orientation
•	Location (city + coordinates)
•	Timestamp (creation, last login)
•	Subscription status
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4.2 Profile Management
Features:
•	Create and update detailed user profiles
•	Upload up to 6 photos
•	Manage visibility and privacy settings
•	Add lifestyle, interests, and relationship goals
Profile Fields:
Category	Example Fields
Basic	Age, gender, location
Lifestyle	Smoking, drinking, pets, religion
Appearance	Height, body type, ethnicity (optional)
Interests	Hobbies, sports, travel, music
Relationship	Casual, long-term, marriage
Personality	Love language, Myers-Briggs type
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4.3 Discovery & Matching
Features:
•	Browse potential matches filtered by preferences
•	Swipe-style or list-based interface
•	Match occurs when two users like each other
•	Display compatibility score (calculated by shared attributes)
Matching Logic (Phase 1):
score = (shared_interests * 10)
      + (same_goal ? 20 : 0)
      + (recent_activity ? 15 : 0)
      - (distance_km / 10)
Matching Criteria:
•	Age range
•	Gender preference
•	Distance (configurable)
•	Shared interests / goals
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4.4 Communication (Messaging)
Features:
•	Private 1-on-1 chat between matched users
•	Message timestamps and read receipts
•	Option to delete or block a chat
•	Backend message encryption (at rest)
Phase 2: Live chat (Socket.IO or WebSocket)
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4.5 Moderation & Safety
Features:
•	User report & block system
•	Profile and image moderation (manual + automated)
•	Content filters (text profanity + image detection)
•	Admin moderation dashboard
•	Email alerts for reports or flagged content
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4.6 Monetization
Features:
•	Premium subscription tiers (via Stripe)
o	Unlimited swipes
o	See who liked you
o	Boost profile visibility
•	Ad integration (Google AdSense optional)
•	Subscription & payment history tracking
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4.7 Notifications
Features:
•	Email alerts: verification, match found, message received
•	Push notifications (Phase 2)
•	Notification preferences stored per user
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4.8 Admin Panel
Features:
•	View users, profiles, and reports
•	Approve or ban users
•	Manage subscriptions
•	Analytics dashboard (user growth, engagement, revenue)
•	Export CSV reports
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5. Non-Functional Requirements
Category	Description
Performance	API response < 500ms avg; 99.9% uptime
Scalability	Horizontally scalable backend; load-balanced
Security	HTTPS, bcrypt password hashing, JWT auth
Privacy	POPIA & GDPR compliant (data deletion/export)
Availability	Cloud-hosted (AWS/DigitalOcean) with backups
Maintainability	Modular code, versioned API, clear logging
Usability	Mobile-first responsive UI (React/Tailwind)
Analytics	Track KPIs (DAU, match rate, conversion, churn)
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6. System Architecture
6.1 Overview
Frontend: React (Next.js) SPA
Backend: Node.js (Express / NestJS)
Database: PostgreSQL
File Storage: AWS S3
Hosting: AWS (EC2 / RDS) or DigitalOcean
Realtime: Socket.IO (Phase 2)
Email: SendGrid / Mailgun
Payments: Stripe
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6.2 Architecture Diagram (conceptual)
[React Frontend] → [REST API Gateway] → [Node.js Backend] → [PostgreSQL]
       ↓            		         ↓
 [S3 Image Storage]   [Stripe | SendGrid APIs]
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7. Database Schema (MVP Core Tables)
Users
Field	Type	Notes
id	UUID	Primary key
email	VARCHAR(255)	Unique
password_hash	TEXT	bcrypt/argon2
display_name	VARCHAR(100)	
birth_date	DATE	
gender	VARCHAR(50)	
orientation	VARCHAR(50)	
location	GEOGRAPHY	lat/lng or city
created_at	TIMESTAMP	
last_active_at	TIMESTAMP	
verified	BOOLEAN	
Profiles
| user_id | FK (Users) |
| bio | TEXT |
| photos | JSONB (URLs) |
| interests | TEXT[] |
| goals | VARCHAR(100) |
| lifestyle | JSONB |
| appearance | JSONB |
Preferences
| user_id | FK (Users) |
| min_age | INT |
| max_age | INT |
| gender_pref | VARCHAR(50) |
| distance_km | INT |
| interests_required | TEXT[] |
Likes
| from_user_id | FK (Users) |
| to_user_id | FK (Users) |
| action | ENUM('like','pass') |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP |
Matches
| id | UUID |
| user_a_id | FK (Users) |
| user_b_id | FK (Users) |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP |
| active | BOOLEAN |
Messages
| id | UUID |
| match_id | FK (Matches) |
| sender_id | FK (Users) |
| content | TEXT (encrypted) |
| sent_at | TIMESTAMP |
| read_at | TIMESTAMP |
Reports
| id | UUID |
| reporter_id | FK (Users) |
| reported_user_id | FK (Users) |
| reason | TEXT |
| status | ENUM('pending','resolved') |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP |
Subscriptions
| id | UUID |
| user_id | FK (Users) |
| tier | ENUM('free','plus','premium') |
| stripe_subscription_id | TEXT |
| starts_at | TIMESTAMP |
| ends_at | TIMESTAMP |
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8. API Endpoints (REST)
Endpoint	Method	Description
/auth/signup	POST	Register user
/auth/login	POST	Authenticate user
/auth/verify	GET	Verify email
/profiles	POST	Create/update profile
/profiles/:id	GET	Get profile
/discovery	GET	Get match suggestions
/likes	POST	Like or pass user
/matches	GET	View matches
/messages	POST	Send message
/messages/:match_id	GET	Get chat messages
/reports	POST	Report user
/subscriptions	POST	Create or manage subscription
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9. Security Specifications
•	JWT-based authentication with refresh tokens
•	Password hashing using bcrypt or Argon2
•	HTTPS enforced on all endpoints
•	File validation for uploaded images (type & size)
•	Input validation (SQL injection prevention)
•	Rate limiting & IP throttling
•	Encrypted messages and sensitive fields
•	Admin activity audit logs
•	2FA (optional in Phase 2)
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10. Compliance
•	POPIA & GDPR ready:
o	Consent-based data processing
o	Data deletion/export endpoints
o	Privacy & cookie policy integration
•	Age restriction: Min age 18
•	Content compliance: Prohibit explicit images or content
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11. KPIs & Metrics
•	User metrics: Signups, active users (DAU/MAU), retention (D7/D30)
•	Engagement: Match rate, likes sent, messages per user
•	Monetization: Subscription conversion, ARPU, churn rate
•	Safety: Reports per user, response time to reports
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12. Development Roadmap
Phase	Duration	Deliverables
0. Planning	1–2 weeks	Wireframes, architecture, legal drafts
1. MVP Build	6–10 weeks	Auth, profiles, discovery, chat, moderation
2. Launch	2–4 weeks	Subscriptions, email notifications
3. Trust & Growth	8–12 weeks	Photo verification, advanced AI matching
4. Scale	Ongoing	Realtime chat, analytics dashboards, mobile app
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13. Estimated Costs
Resource	Monthly Estimate
Hosting (AWS/DigitalOcean)	$50–200
Storage (S3)	$10–50
Email (SendGrid)	$15–30
Stripe Fees	2.9% + $0.30 / transaction
Moderation / APIs	$20–100
Total (MVP)	$100–400/month
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14. Future Enhancements
•	Mobile app (React Native or Flutter)
•	AI/ML recommendation system
•	Personality-based matching
•	In-app video calls
•	Social & event discovery integration
•	Location-based push notifications
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