Remember when the COVID-19 pandemic moved everything online – doctor’s visits included – and staying home became the safest option?

That moment kicked off a massive shift in how healthcare gets delivered.

Telehealth became more than a workaround. It’s now a core part of modern care. As demand grows, developers are stepping up to build secure, real-time platforms that connect patients and providers from anywhere.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build a telehealth application with Stream’s React Video and Chat SDKs. You’ll set up authentication, create video calls, enable messaging, and design a functional user interface that mimics real-world telehealth workflows.

Let’s dive in.

Outline

• Introduction

• Prerequisites

• App Structure

• Project Setup

• Backend Setup

• Frontend Setup

• Stream Chat and Video Integration

• Chat and Video Function (Frontend)

• Project Demo

• Conclusion

Prerequisites

Before you start this tutorial, make sure you have:

• A basic understanding of React.

• Node.js and npm/yarn installed on your computer

• A free account with Stream

• Familiarity with Stream SDKs

• A basic understanding of Tailwind CSS for styling

• Experience with VS Code and Postman (for testing APIs)

App Structure

Before diving into the code, it’s helpful to understand how the app is structured.

# App Flow Structure

- Landing Page  
  - Navigation  
    - Home  
    - About  
    - Sign Up  
      - Verify Account  
        - Log In  
          - Dashboard  
            - Stream Chat  
            - Stream Video  
            - Log Out

Project Setup

Before getting started, create two folders: “Frontend” to handle the client-side code and “Backend” for the server-side logic. This separation allows you to manage both parts of your application efficiently.

Set Up React for the Frontend

Once the folders are created, you can set up the React application in the Frontend folder.

First, navigate to the Frontend directory using the command cd Frontend.

Now you can initialize your React project. You’ll use Vite, a fast build tool for React applications.

To create your React project, run the following command:

npm create vite@latest [project name] -- --template react

Next, navigate to your new project folder, using the command:

cd [project name]

Once there, install the required dependencies by running:

npm install

This command installs both the node_modules folder (which contains all your project’s packages) and the package-lock.json file (which records exact versions of installed packages).

Next, you’ll need to install Tailwind CSS for styling. Follow the Tailwind Docs for step-by-step instructions.

Then, it’s time to set up the website. Using React, you’ll create the home sign-in/log-in pages. Both will be nested together using React-router-dom.

Here’s what the home page looks like:

Now, the user has a place to land whenever they visit the website.

Let’s set up the backend.

Backend Setup

Installing Required Packages

Before setting up your project’s backend, it’s important to define what your project needs to offer. This will help you install all the necessary packages in one go.

Start by moving into the backend folder using the command: cd Backend

Inside the Backend directory, initialize your Node.js project using npm install

This will create a package.json file, which stores metadata and dependencies for your project.

Next, install all the dependencies needed to build your backend. Run the following command:

npm i bcryptjs cookie-parser cors dotenv express jsonwebtoken mongoose nodemailer validator nodemon

Here’s a brief overview of what each package does:

• bcryptjs: Encrypts user passwords for secure storage.

• Cookie-parser: Handles cookies in your application.

• CORS: Middleware that enables cross-origin requests – essential for frontend-backend communication.

• dotenv: Loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env.

• Express: The core framework for building your server and API routes.

• jsonwebtoken: Generates and verifies JWT tokens for authentication.

• Mongoose: Connects your app to a MongoDB database.

• nodemailer: Handles sending emails from your application.

• Validator: Validates user inputs like email, strings, and so on.

• nodemon: Automatically restarts your server when changes are made to files.

Once your packages are installed, create two key files in the backend directory: App.js, which contains your app logic, middleware, and route handlers, and server.js, responsible for initializing and configuring your server.

Next, you have to update your package.json start script. Head to the package.json file in your backend directory and replace the default script:

"scripts": {
    "test": "echo”Error: no test specified" && exit 1”
  }

with this:

"scripts": {
    "start": "nodemon server.js"
  }

This setup allows you to run your server using nodemon, automatically reloading it when changes are made. This helps boost productivity during development.

To check if your backend setup is correct, open the server.js file and add a test log: console.log (“Any of your Log Message”). Then, head to your terminal in the backend directory, and run npm start. You should see the log message in the terminal, confirming that your backend is running.

App.js Setup

In the App.js file, start by importing the packages you initially installed.

const express = require("express");

const cors = require("cors");

const cookieParser = require("cookie-parser");

const app = express();


app.use(

  cors({

origin: [

   "http://localhost:5173",

],

credentials: true,

  })

);

app.use(express.json({ limit: "10kb" }));

app.use(cookieParser());

module.exports = app;

Here’s what the code above does:

The require statements import express, cors, and cookie-parser, which are essential for creating your backend server, handling cross-origin requests, and parsing cookies.

The const app = express(); command sets up a new instance of an Express application.

app.use(cors({ origin: ["http://localhost:5173"], credentials: true })); grants permission or allows requests from your frontend and enables cookie sharing between the frontend and backend of your application. This is important for authentication.

The app.use(express.json({ limit: "10kb" })); command is a middleware function that ensures the server can process incoming JSON payloads and protects against overly large requests, which could be used in DoS attacks.

The app.use(cookieParser()); command makes cookies available via req.cookies.

Last, the module.exports = app; command allows the app to be imported in other files, especially in server.js, which is where the app will be started.

Server.js Setup

Once App.js is set up, the next step is to create and configure your server in a new file called server.js.

Before doing that, ensure you have a MongoDB database set up. If you don’t have one yet, you can follow this video tutorial to set up a MongoDB database.

After setting up MongoDB, you will receive a username and password. Copy the password, head to your backend directory, and create a .env file to store it.

After you have stored the password, head back to complete your database setup.

Next, click on the “Create Database User” button, then click on the choose connection method option. Since we are using Node.js for this project, choose the “Drivers” option. This gives you the database connection string (you should see it at No. 3).

Then head to your .env and paste it there, and add auth immediately after you have “.net/”.

Here’s what it looks like:

mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@cluster0.qrrtmhs.mongodb.net/auth?retryWrites=true&w=majority&appName=Cluster0

Lastly, whitelist your IP address. This ensures your backend can connect to MongoDB from your local machine or any environment during development.

To allow your application to connect to the database:

• Go to the “Network Access” section in the Security sidebar of your MongoDB dashboard.

• Click on “ADD IP ADDRESS.”

• Choose “Allow Access from Anywhere”, then click on Confirm.

At this point, you can set up your server.js

//server.js
require("dotenv").config();
const mongoose = require("mongoose");
const dotenv = require("dotenv"); //to Manage our environment variable

dotenv.config({ path: "./config.env" });
// console.log(process.env.NODE_ENV);

const app = require("./app");

const db = process.env.DB;
//connect the application to database using MongoDB

mongoose
  .connect(db)
  .then(() => {
    console.log("DB connection Successful");
  })
  .catch((err) => {
    console.log(err);
  });

const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
// console.log(process.env.PORT)

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`App running on port ${port}`);
});

The server.js file is responsible for handling all server-related functions and logic. From the code above, the server.js file loads the environment variables using dotenv, connects your backend to MongoDB using mongoose, and starts the Express server. It gets the database URL and port from the config.env file, connects to the database, then runs your application on the specified port (8000).

If the specified port is not found, it falls back to port 3000 and a confirmation message is printed to the console indicating that the server is up and running on the specified port.

Connect the Database to MongoDB Compass

First, download the MongoDB Compass app. (Go here to download and install: https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/compass). The MongoDB Compass app makes it easy for us to manage our data.

Once the installation is complete, open the app and click on Click to add new connection. Go to your .env file, copy the connection string you initially got when setting up MongoDB, paste it in the URL section, and then click on “connect.” This setup helps you manage your data when you create and delete users.

Set up an Advanced Error Handling Method

You’ll now create an advanced error-handling mechanism. To do so, create a utils folder in your backend, a catchAsync.js file in the utils folder, and add this code:

//catchAsync.js
module.exports = (fn) => {
  return (req, res, next) => {
    fn(req, res, next).catch(next);
  };
};

Next, create an appError.js file still in your utils folder. In the appError.js file, add the following command:

class AppError extends Error {
  constructor(message, statusCode) {
    super(message);

    this.statusCode = statusCode;
    this.status = `${statusCode}`.startsWith("4") ? "fail" : "error";
    this.isOperational = true;

    Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor);
  }
}

module.exports = AppError;

The code above is helpful in tracking and tracing errors. It also provides you with the URL and file location where your error might be occurring, which helps with cleaner error handling and debugging.

Next, let’s create a global error handler. Start by creating a new folder in the backend directory, and name it “controller”. In the controller folder, create your global error handling file. You can name it anything you like. In this example, it’s called globalErrorHandler.js.

Your globalErrorHandler file will define several functions that handle specific error types, such as database issues, validation failures, or even JWT problems and return a nicely formatted error response for users. For the globalErrorHandler to work properly, you have to create a controller function.

So, next, create an errorController.js file (still inside the controller folder). The errorController.js file responds to the user whenever an error is caught, sending the error in JSON format.

globalErrorHandler.js:

// globalErrorHandler.js
const AppError = require("../utils/appError");

const handleCastErrorDB = (err) => {
  const message = `Invalid ${err.path}: ${err.value}.`;
  return new AppError(message, 400);
};

const handleDuplicateFieldsDB = (err) => {
  const value = err.keyValue ? JSON.stringify(err.keyValue) : "duplicate field";
  const message = `Duplicate field value: ${value}. Please use another value!`;
  return new AppError(message, 400);
};

const handleValidationErrorDB = (err) => {
  const errors = Object.values(err.errors).map((el) => el.message);
  const message = `Invalid input: ${errors.join(". ")}`;
  return new AppError(message, 400);
};

const handleJWTError = () =>
  new AppError("Invalid token. Please log in again!", 401);
const handleJWTExpiredError = () =>
  new AppError("Your token has expired! Please log in again.", 401);

module.exports = {
  handleCastErrorDB,
  handleDuplicateFieldsDB,
  handleValidationErrorDB,
  handleJWTError,
  handleJWTExpiredError,
};

Here’s what the code above does:

The const handleCastErrorDB = (err) =>.. section handles MongoDB CastError which usually happens when an invalid ID is passed, and returns a 400 Bad Request error response using your AppError class.

The const handleDuplicateFieldsDB = (err) =>... checks and handles MongoDB duplicate key errors, such as trying to register an email or username that’s already taken and returns a 400 Bad Request error.

The const handleValidationErrorDB = (err) =>... handles Mongoose validation errors (like required fields missing or wrong data types). It gathers all the individual validation error messages and combines them into one.

The const handleJWTError = () => and const handleJWTExpiredError = () => handle errors which might occur as a result of invalid, tampered, or expired JWT tokens and return a 401 Unauthorized error response.

The module.exports = {……}; section exports all the individual error handlers so they can be used in the errorController.js file.

errorController.js:

//errorController.js
const errorHandlers = require("./globalErrorHandler");

const {
  handleCastErrorDB,
  handleDuplicateFieldsDB,
  handleValidationErrorDB,
  handleJWTError,
  handleJWTExpiredError,
} = errorHandlers;

module.exports = (err, req, res, next) => {
  err.statusCode = err.statusCode || 500;
  err.status = err.status || "error";

  let error = { ...err, message: err.message };

  if (err.name === "CastError") error = handleCastErrorDB(err);
  if (err.code === 11000) error = handleDuplicateFieldsDB(err);
  if (err.name === "ValidationError") error = handleValidationErrorDB(err);
  if (err.name === "JsonWebTokenError") error = handleJWTError();
  if (err.name === "TokenExpiredError") error = handleJWTExpiredError();

  res.status(error.statusCode).json({
    status: error.status,
    message: error.message,
    ...(process.env.NODE_ENV === "production" && { error, stack: err.stack }),
  });
};

To ensure your error-handling function works properly, head to your App.js and add the command:

//import command
const globalErrorHandler = require("./controller/errorController");
const AppError = require("./utils/appError");

//Catch unknown routes
app.all("/{*any}", (req, res, next) => {
  next(new AppError(`Can't find ${req.originalUrl} on this server!`, 404)); });

app.use(globalErrorHandler);

This ensures that all errors are properly handled and sends the error response to the user.

Create User Model

To build a user model, create a new folder in the backend directory and name it “model.” Inside the model folder, create a new file named userModel.js.

The userModel.js file is built essentially for user authentication and security. It provides a validation-rich schema for managing users using Mongoose, which maps how user data is structured in the MongoDB database. It includes validations, password hashing, and methods to compare user passwords securely.

//userModel.js
const mongoose = require("mongoose");
const validator = require("validator");
const bcrypt = require("bcryptjs");

const userSchema = new mongoose.Schema(
  {
    username: {type: String, required: [true, "Please provide username"], trim: true, minlength: 3, maxlength: 30, index: true,},
    email: {type: String, required: [true, "Please Provide an email"], unique: true, lowercase: true, validate: [validator.isEmail, "Please provide a valid email"],},
    password: {type: String, required: [true, "Please provide a Password"], minlength: 8, select: false,},
    passwordConfirm: {type: String, required: [true, "Please confirm your Password"],
     validate: {validator: function (el) {return el === this.password;},
        message: "Passwords do not match",
      },
    },
    isVerified: {type: Boolean, default: false,}, otp: String,
    otpExpires: Date,
     resetPasswordOTP: String,
      resetPasswordOTPExpires: Date,
    createdAt: {type: Date, default: Date.now,},}, { timestamps: true });

// Hash password before saving
userSchema.pre("save", async function (next) {
  if (!this.isModified("password")) return next();

  this.password = await bcrypt.hash(this.password, 12);
  this.passwordConfirm = undefined; // Remove passwordConfirm before saving
  next();
});

const User = mongoose.model("User", userSchema);
module.exports = User;

Auth Controller

Now, you can create logic that regulates your user’s authentication process. This authentication logic consists of the sign-up, sign-in (log-in), OTP, and so on.

To do so, first head to your controller folder and create a new file. Call it authController.js because it handles the authentication flow of your project.

After you’ve created the file, you’ll create your sign-up function.

//import
const User = require("../model/userModel");
const AppError = require("../utils/appError");
const catchAsync = require("../utils/catchAsync");
const generateOtp = require("../utils/generateOtp");
const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
const sendEmail = require("../utils/email")

exports.signup = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  const { email, password, passwordConfirm, username } = req.body;

  const existingUser = await User.findOne({ email });

  if (existingUser) return next(new AppError("Email already registered", 400));

  const otp = generateOtp();

  const otpExpires = Date.now() + 24 60 60 * 1000; //when thhe otp will expire (1 day)

  const newUser = await User.create({
    username,
    email,
    password,
    passwordConfirm,
    otp,
    otpExpires,
  });

  //configure email sending functionality
  try {
    await sendEmail({
      email: newUser.email,
      subject: "OTP for email Verification",
      html: `<h1>Your OTP is : ${otp}</h1>`,
    });

    createSendToken(newUser, 200, res, "Registration successful");
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Email send error:", error);
    await User.findByIdAndDelete(newUser.id);
    return next(
      new AppError("There is an error sending the email. Try again", 500)
    );
  }
});

const { email, password, passwordConfirm, username } = req.body; extracts the necessary registration details from the incoming request: email, password, password confirmation, and username during user sign-up.

const existingUser = await User.findOne({ email }); checks the database to see if a user already exists with the given email. If yes, it sends an error response using your AppError utility.

const otp = generateOtp(); generates the OTP, and const otpExpires = Date.now()….. is used to set the OTP to expire at a specified time or day.

With const newUser = await User.create({…});, the new user is saved in MongoDB with their credentials and the OTP info, with the password automatically hashed.

await sendEmail({…}); sends an email to the user. This email contains their sign-in OTP. If the email is sent successfully, createSendToken(newUser, 200, res, "Registration successful"); (which is a utility function) generates a JWT token and sends it in the response with a success message.

If the email fails to send or something goes wrong, await User.findByIdAndDelete(newUser.id); deletes the user from the database to keep things clean, and an error message of There is an error sending the email. Try again", 500 is returned.

Generate OTP

To ensure that your users’ OTP is successfully sent to them, in the utils folder, create a new file and name it generateOtp.js. Then add the code:

module.exports = () => {
  return Math.floor(1000 + Math.random() * 9000).toString();
};

The code above is a function that generates a user’s random 4-digit OTP and returns it as a string.

After completing the code above, go to your authController.js and ensure you import the generateOtp.js in the import section.

Create User Token

Next, the user sign-in token will be created, and it will be assigned to the user upon sign-in.

const signToken = (userId) => {
  return jwt.sign({ id: userId }, process.env.JWT_SECRET, {
    expiresIn: process.env.JWT_EXPIRES_IN || "90d",
  });
};

//function to create the token
const createSendToken = (user, statusCode, res, message) => {
  const token = signToken(user._id);

  //function to generate the cookie
  const cookieOptions = {
    expires: new Date(
      Date.now() + process.env.JWT_COOKIE_EXPIRES_IN 24 60 60 1000
    ),

    httponly: true,
    secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production", //only secure in production
    sameSite: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production" ? "none" : "Lax",
  };

  res.cookie("token", token, cookieOptions);

  user.password = undefined;
  user.passwordConfirm = undefined;
  user.otp = undefined;

Before the code above can work perfectly, create a JWT in your .env file.

//.env
JWT_SECRET = kaklsdolrnnhjfsnlsoijfbwhjsioennbandksd;
JWT_EXPIRES_IN = 90d
JWT_COOKIE_EXPIRES_IN = 90

The code above is how the .env file should look. Your JWT_SECRET can be anything, just as you can see in the code.

Note: The user token creation logic should run before the sign-in logic. So in that case, the signToken and createSendToken logic should be placed at the top before the signup logic.

Send Email

Next, you need to configure your email sending functionality so you can automatically send the user’s OTP to their email whenever they sign in. To configure the email, head to the utils folder, create a new file, and give it a name. In this example, the name is email.js.

In email.js, we will send emails using the nodemailer package and Gmail as a provider.

//email.js
const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');

const sendEmail = async (options) => {
  const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
    service: 'Gmail',
    auth: {
      user: process.env.HOST_EMAIL,
      pass: process.env.EMAIL_PASS
    }
  })

  //defining email option and structure

  const mailOptions = {
    from: `"{HOST Name}" <{HOST Email} >`,
    to: options.email,
    subject: options.subject,
    html: options.html,
  };
  await transporter.sendMail(mailOptions);
};

module.exports = sendEmail;

From the code above, the const nodemailer = require('nodemailer'); command imports the nodemailer package. This is a popular Node.js library for sending emails.

The const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({…..}) is an email transporter. Since we will be using the Gmail service provider, service will be assigned to Gmail and auth pulls your Gmail address and password from the .env file where it’s stored.

Note: The password is not your actual Gmail password but rather your Gmail app password. You can see how you can get your Gmail password here.

Once you’ve successfully gotten your Gmail app password, store it in your .env file.

Route Creation

At this point, you have finished setting up your project’s signup function. Next, you need to test whether your signup works properly using Postman. But before that, let’s set up and define a route where the signup function will be executed.

To set up your route, create a new folder in your backend directory named “routes” and a file named userRouter.js.

const express = require("express");
const {signup} = require(“../controller/authController”);

const router = express.Router();
router.post("/signup", signup);

module.exports = router;

Next, go to your App.js file and add the router to it.

const userRouter = require("./routes/userRouters"); //Route import statement
app.use("/api/v1/users", userRouter) //common route for all auth, i.e sign up, log in, forget password, etc.

After setting up your routes, you can test your signup to see if it works. This is a post request, and the route URL will be http://localhost:8000/api/v1/users/signup.

The image above shows that the signup function works perfectly with a statusCode of 200 and an OTP code being sent to the user’s email.

Congratulations on reaching this point! You can check your MongoDB database to see if the user is displayed there.

From the image above, you can see that the user details are obtained and the password is in an encrypted form, which ensures the user credentials are safe.

Create a Verify Account Controller Function

In this section, you’ll create a Verify Account controller function. This function verifies a user’s account using the OTP code sent to their email address.

First, go to your authController.js file and add:

exports.verifyAccount = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  const { email, otp } = req.body;

  if (!email || !otp) {
    return next(new AppError("Email and OTP are required", 400));
  }

  const user = await User.findOne({ email });

  if (!user) {
    return next(new AppError("No user found with this email", 404));
  }

  if (user.otp !== otp) {
    return next(new AppError("Invalid OTP", 400));
  }

  if (Date.now() > user.otpExpires) {
    return next(
      new AppError("OTP has expired. Please request a new OTP.", 400)
    );
  }

  user.isVerified = true;
  user.otp = undefined;
  user.otpExpires = undefined;

  await user.save({ validateBeforeSave: false });

  // ✅ Optionally return a response without logging in
  res.status(200).json({
    status: "success",
    message: "Email has been verified",
  });
});

Next, create a middleware function to authenticate the currently logged-in user.

In your backend directory, create a new folder called middlewares. Inside the middlewares folder, create a file named isAuthenticated.js.

Add the following code:

//isAuthenticated.js
const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
const catchAsync = require("../utils/catchAsync");
const AppError = require("../utils/appError");
const User = require("../model/userModel");

const isAuthenticated = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  let token;

  // 1. Retrieve token from cookies or Authorization header
  if (req.cookies?.token) {
    token = req.cookies.token;
  } else if (req.headers.authorization?.startsWith("Bearer")) {
    token = req.headers.authorization.split(" ")[1];
  }

  if (!token) {
    return next(
      new AppError(
        "You are not logged in. Please log in to access this resource.",
        401
      )
    );
  }

  // 2. Verify token
  let decoded;
  try {
    decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET);
  } catch (err) {
    return next(
      new AppError("Invalid or expired token. Please log in again.", 401)
    );
  }

// 3. Confirm user still exists in database
  const currentUser = await User.findById(decoded._id);
  if (!currentUser) {
    return next(
      new AppError("User linked to this token no longer exists.", 401)
    );
  }

  // 4. Attach user info to request
  req.user = currentUser;
  req.user = {
    id: currentUser.id,
    name: currentUser.name,
  };

  next();
});

module.exports = isAuthenticated;
```
Now, go to your `userRouter.js` file and add the route for the verify account function:
```
const { verifyAccount} = require("../controller/authController");
const isAuthenticated = require("../middlewares/isAuthenticated");
router.post("/verify", isAuthenticated, verifyAccount);

Here is what these two sets of code are doing:

When a user sends a request to the /verify route, the isAuthenticated middleware runs first. It checks whether a valid token exists in the cookie or authorization header. If no token is found, it throws an error: You are not logged in. Please log in to access this resource.

If a token is found, it verifies the token and checks if the associated user still exists. If not, another error is thrown: "User linked to this token no longer exists."

If the user exists and the token is valid, their details are attached to the request (req.user). The request then proceeds to the verifyAccount controller, which handles OTP verification.

You can test this endpoint using Postman with a POST request to: http://localhost:8000/api/v1/users/verify

The image above shows that the verify token function is working well, and a status code of 200 is displayed.

Login Function

If you’ve reached this point, you’ve successfully signed up and verified a user’s account.

Now it’s time to create the login function, which allows a verified user to access their account. Here’s how you can do that:

Go to your authController.js file and create your login function by adding the following:

exports.login = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  const { email, password } = req.body;

  // 1. Validate email & password presence
  if (!email || !password) {
    return next(new AppError("Please provide email and password", 400));
  }

  // 2. Check if user exists and include password
  const user = await User.findOne({ email }).select("+password");
  if (!user || !(await user.correctPassword(password, user.password))) {
    return next(new AppError("Incorrect email or password", 401));
  }

  // 3. Create JWT token
  const token = signToken(user._id);

  // 4. Configure cookie options
  const cookieOptions = {
    expires: new Date(
      Date.now() +
        (parseInt(process.env.JWT_COOKIE_EXPIRES_IN, 10) || 90) 24 60 60 1000
    ),
    httpOnly: true,
    // secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production",
    // sameSite: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production" ?
    //  "None" : "Lax",

    //set to false during or for local HTTP and cross-origin
    secure: false,
    sameSite: "Lax",
  };

  // 5. Send cookie
  res.cookie("token", token, cookieOptions);

});

if (!email || !password) {…} checks if the user actually provided both an email and a password. If not, it returns the error: Please provide email and password", 400.

const user = await User.findOne({ email }).select("+password"); searches the database for a user with the provided email and explicitly includes the password field, since it’s normally hidden by default in the schema.

if (!user || !(await user.correctPassword(…))) {…} checks if the user exists and if the password entered matches the one stored in the database (after hashing comparison). If either is wrong, it throws: Incorrect email or password.

The line signToken(user._id) generates a JWT using the user’s unique ID. The cookieOptions object configures how the cookie behaves – it sets the cookie to expire after a specific number of days defined in the .env file, marks it as httpOnly to prevent JavaScript access for security, sets secure to false since the app is currently in development, and uses sameSite: "Lax" to allow cross-origin requests during local testing.

Finally, res.cookie(...) sends the token as a cookie attached to the HTTP response, enabling the client to store the token for authentication purposes.

From the code above, you may have noticed that the password stored in the database is hashed for security reasons. This means it looks completely different from the user’s password when logging in. So, even if a user types in the correct password, it won’t match the stored hash directly through a simple comparison.

To fix this, you need to compare the entered password with the hashed one using the bcryptjs package.

Head over to your userModel.js file and create a method that handles password comparison. This method will take the plain text password provided by the user and compare it to the hashed password stored in the database.

//userModel.js
//create a method responsible for comparing the password stored in the database

userSchema.methods.correctPassword = async function (password, userPassword) {
  return await bcrypt.compare(password, userPassword);
};

This correctPassword method uses bcrypt.compare(), which internally hashes the plain password and checks if it matches the stored hashed version. This ensures that login validation works correctly and securely, even though the actual password is not stored in plain text.

Next, add the Login functionality to the userRouter.js file.

const {login} = require("../controller/authController");
const isAuthenticated = require("../middlewares/isAuthenticated");

router.post("/login", login);

You can test this endpoint using Postman with a POST request to: http://localhost:8000/api/v1/users/login

Logout Function

At this point, you can implement the logout function to end a user’s session securely. To do this, navigate to your authController.js file and add the following function:

//creating a log out function
exports.logout = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  res.cookie("token", "loggedout", {
    expires: new Date(0),
    httpOnly: true,
    secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production",
  });

  res.status(200).json({
    status: "success",
    message: "Logged out successfully",
  });
});

This function works by overwriting the authentication cookie named token with the value "loggedout" and setting its expiration time to the past using new Date(0). This effectively invalidates the cookie and removes it from the browser.

The httpOnly: true flag ensures that the cookie cannot be accessed via JavaScript, which protects it from XSS attacks, while the secure flag ensures that the cookie is only sent over HTTPS in a production environment. Once the cookie is cleared, a success response is returned with the message “Logged out successfully” to confirm the action.

Next, add the logout functionality to your route:

const {logout} = require("../controller/authController");
const isAuthenticated = require("../middlewares/isAuthenticated");

router.post("/logout", logout);

Then, head to Postman to test your logout function and see if it works.

Frontend Setup

Now that your backend is up and running, you can integrate it into your frontend application.

First, navigate to the frontend directory using the command cd Frontend.

Create a new folder in the src folder where your authentication-related files will live. Depending on your preference or app structure, you can name it something like auth or pages. Then, create a new file called NewUser. js. This file will handle user signup functionality.

import axios from 'axios';
import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { Link, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
import { Loader } from 'lucide-react';
import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
import { setAuthUser, setPendingEmail } from '../../../../store/authSlice';

const API_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL;

function NewUser() {
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({
    username: '',
    email: '',
    password: '',
    passwordConfirm: '',
  });

  const handleChange = (e) => {
    const { name, value } = e.target;
    setFormData((prev) => ({ ...prev, [name]: value }));
  };

  const submitHandler = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    setLoading(true);
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(`${API_URL}/users/signup`, formData, {
        withCredentials: true,
      });
      const user = response.data.data.user;
      dispatch(setAuthUser(user));
      dispatch(setPendingEmail(formData.email)); // Save email for OTP
      navigate('/verifyAcct'); // Navigate to OTP verification page
    } catch (error) {
      alert(error.response?.data?.message || 'Signup failed');
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
<div>
// visit the frontend Github repository to see the remaining code for the OTP Verification

https://github.com/Derekvibe/Telehealth_Frontend/blob/main/src/pages/Auth/Join/NewUser.jsx
    </div>
  );
}

export default NewUser;

The code above renders a signup form with fields for username, email, password and passwordConfirm. When the user submits the form, the frontend sends a POST request to the backend’s /users/signup endpoint using Axios. The withCredentials: true option ensures cookies like the auth token are properly set by the backend.

If the signup is successful, the user data is dispatched into Redux using setAuthUser(), and their email is saved with setPendingEmail() so it can be used during OTP verification. Then, the user is redirected to the /verifyAcct route, where they can enter their OTP.

OTP Verification Page

The OTP verification page is the next step in the user authentication process. Once a user signs up, they are redirected to enter the 4-digit OTP sent to their email. This verifies their account before allowing login access.

import React, { useState, useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
import { useSelector, useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
import { useNavigate, Link } from 'react-router-dom';
import axios from 'axios';
import { clearPendingEmail } from '../../../../store/authSlice';

const API_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:5000/api'; // adjust as needed

function VerifyAcct() {
  const [code, setCode] = useState(['', '', '', '']);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
  const [resendLoading, setResendLoading] = useState(false);
  const [timer, setTimer] = useState(60);

  const inputsRef = useRef([]);
  const dispatch = useDispatch();
  const navigate = useNavigate();
  const email = useSelector((state) => state.auth.pendingEmail);

  useEffect(() => {
    let interval;
    if (timer > 0) {
      interval = setInterval(() => setTimer((prev) => prev - 1), 1000);
    }
    return () => clearInterval(interval);
  }, [timer]);

  const handleChange = (value, index) => {
    if (!/^d*$/.test(value)) return;
    const newCode = [...code];
// visit the frontend Github repository to see the remaining code for the OTP Verification
https://github.com/Derekvibe/Telehealth_Frontend/blob/main/src/pages/Auth/login/VerifyAcct.jsx
}
export default VerifyAcct;

Here’s what the code does:

The OTP is stored as an array of 4 characters ([‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘]). Each box only accepts digits, and focus automatically moves to the next input as the user types in the digit. The focus returns to the previous input box if the user presses the backspace button on an empty box.

When the OTP has been added and the form is submitted, the 4-digit code is joined into a string and an HTTP POST request is made to the backend /user/verify/ endpoint along with the stored email and OTP. If the verification is successful, the user is alerted and redirected to the login page, and if not, an error is shown.

Log In

Now you can create the login interface for your application. First, create a Login.jsx file and input the code:

//Login.Jsx

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { Link, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
import axios from 'axios';

const API_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'https://telehealth-backend-2m1f.onrender.com/api/v1';

function Join() {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({ email: '', password: '' });
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
  const [error, setError] = useState('');
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  const handleChange = (e) => {
    setFormData({ ...formData, [e.target.name]: e.target.value });
  };

  const handleLogin = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    setLoading(true);
    setError('');

    try {
      const res = await axios.post(`${API_URL}/users/login`, formData, {
        withCredentials: true,
      });

      if (res.data.status === 'success') {
        const { token, user, streamToken } = res.data;

        // Save to localStorage
        localStorage.setItem('authToken', token);
        localStorage.setItem('user', JSON.stringify(user));
        localStorage.setItem('streamToken', streamToken);

        navigate('/dashboard');
      }
    } catch (err) {
      console.error(err);
      setError(
        err.response?.data?.message || 'Something went wrong. Please try again.'
      );
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
<div>
{// visit the frontend Github repository to see the remaining code for the OTP Verification
https://github.com/Derekvibe/Telehealth_Frontend/blob/main/src/pages/Auth/login/Login.jsx
 </div>
);
}

The Export default Join; component allows a registered and verified user to log into your application using their email and password. It handles form submission, talks to the backend, and securely stores user data if login is successful.

handleChange() updates the email or password field as the user types.

handleLogin() is triggered when the login form is submitted. When the login button is triggered, it sends a Post request to /users/login with the form data, which includes {withCredentials: true} to enable cookie handling.

If login is successful, it extracts the JWT token, user data, and Stream Chat token from the response and stores them in the localStorage so the user stays logged in across sessions. Then it redirects the user to the dashboard page using navigate(‘/dashboard’).

Set Up the Frontend Route

Just as you set up the backend route, you have to do the same for the frontend.

Head to App.jsx. Before adding the route, make sure you have installed the react-router-dom package. If not, run this command in the frontend terminal:

npm install react-router-dom

Then, add the command to your App.jsx file:

import React from 'react';
import { createBrowserRouter, RouterProvider } from 'react-router-dom';
import HomeIndex from './pages/Home/HomeIndex';
import Hero from './pages/Home/Hero';

//Authentication Section
import NewUser from './pages/Auth/Join/NewUser';
import Login from './pages/Auth/login/Login'
import VerifyAcct from './pages/Auth/login/VerifyAcct';

// Dashboard
import Dashboard from './pages/Dashboard/Dashboard';
import VideoStream from './components/VideoStream';

const router = createBrowserRouter([
  {
    path: '/',
    element: <HomeIndex />,
    children: [
      { index: true, element: <Hero /> }
    ],
  },

  {
    path: 'signup',
    element: <NewUser />,
    children: [
      { index: true, element: <NewUser /> }
    ],
  },

  {
    path: 'login',
    element: <Login />,
    children: [
      {index:true, element:<Login />}
    ]
  },

]);
{// visit the frontend Github repository to see the remaining code for the OTP Verification
https://github.com/Derekvibe/Telehealth_Frontend/blob/main/src/App.jsx}

function App() {
  return (
    <div className='border border-red-700 w-full min-w-[100vw] min-h-[100vh]'>
      <RouterProvider router={router} />
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

Stream Chat and Video Integration

Before proceeding to the dashboard, let’s integrate the Stream Chat and Video functionality into the project.

First, create a free Stream account, start a new project in your dashboard, and get your APP KEY and API_SECRET.

STREAM_API_KEY=your_app_key
STREAM_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Watch the Stream Chat React Quick Start Guide to see how you can set it up.

Next, store your Stream APP KEY and API_SECRET in your .env.

Install Stream Packages (Frontend)

Now, install the Stream Chat and Video packages in your terminal.

npm install stream-chat stream-chat-react
npm install @stream-io/video-react-sdk
npm install @stream-io/stream-chat-css

Stream Token Handler

First, create a new file in your frontend Src directory and name it. In this example, it’s StreamContext.jsx. This file sets up a context to fetch and manage the Stream Chat token on login and includes logout functionality.

import React, { createContext, useContext, useEffect, useState } from "react";
import axios from "axios";

const API_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'https://telehealth-backend-2m1f.onrender.com/api/v1';

// 1. Create the context
const StreamContext = createContext();

// 2. Provider component
export const StreamProvider = ({ children }) => {
  const [user, setUser] = useState(null);
  const [token, setToken] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchToken = async () => {
      try {
        const res = await axios.get(`${API_URL}/stream/get-token`, {
          withCredentials: true,
        });

        if (res.data?.user && res.data?.token) {
          setUser(res.data.user);
          setToken(res.data.token);
          console.log("Stream user/token:", res.data);
        } else {
          console.error("Token or user missing in response:", res.data);
        }
      } catch (error) {
        console.error("Error fetching Stream token:", error);
      }
    };

    fetchToken();
  }, []);

  //Log out Functionality
  const logout = async () => {
    try {
      await axios.post(`${API_URL}/users/logout`, {},
        {
          withCredentials: true
        });

      // Clear localStorage
      localStorage.removeItem('authToken');
      localStorage.removeItem('user');
      localStorage.removeItem('streamToken');

      // Clear context
      setUser(null);
      setToken(null);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Logout failed", error);
    }
  };

  // Expose Logout with capital L
  return (
    <StreamContext.Provider value={{ user, token, Logout:logout }}>
      {children}
    </StreamContext.Provider>
  );
};

// 3. Custom hook for easy access
export const useStream = () => useContext(StreamContext);

The code above creates a StreamContext using React’s Context API. In the useEffect section, it makes a GET request to /stream/get-token to fetch the authenticated user and their Stream token. Then it stores them in user and token states. It also provides the user/token through the context so that any component that needs it can make use of it.

Finally, it adds a Logout method that hits the logout endpoint and clears all stored auth data from localStorage.

Next, open your main.jsx and wrap your entire application with the StreamProvider so all child components can access the Stream context.

// main.jsx
import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client';
import { StrictMode } from 'react';
import App from './App';
import { StreamProvider } from './components/StreamContext';

createRoot(document.getElementById('root')).render(
  <StrictMode>
    <StreamProvider>
      <App />
    </StreamProvider>
  </StrictMode>
);

Set Up Stream API

After successfully creating the streamContent, the next step is to set up the Stream API. This will be the endpoint from which the user ID and user Stream token can be generated and fetched during login.

To set it up, navigate to your backend directory by running cd Backend in your terminal. Then install the Stream package using the command:

npm install getstream
npm install stream-chat stream-chat-react

Open your .env file and add your Stream API KEY and API_SECRET:

STREAM_API_KEY=your_app_key
STREAM_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

Next, open your authController.js and create your Stream Chat logic:

//Initialize the Stream Client
const {StreamChat} = require("stream-chat");
const streamClient = StreamChat.getInstance(
  process.env.STREAM_API_KEY,
  process.env.STREAM_API_SECRET
);

// Modifies the `createSendToken to include `streamToken`
const createSendToken = (user, statusCode, res, message) => {
……
const streamToken = streamClient.createToken(user._id.toString());

  //structure of the cookie response when sent to the user
  res.status(statusCode).json({
    status: "success",
    message,
    token,
    streamToken,
    data: {
      user: {
        id: user._id.toString(),
        name: user.username,
      },
    },
  });
};

//login functionality
exports.login = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
 {…………………..}

// Generate Stream token
  await streamClient.upsertUser({
    id: user._id.toString(),
    name: user.username,
  });
  const streamToken = streamClient.createToken(user._id.toString());

user.password = undefined;

  res.status(200).json({
    status: "success",
    message: "Login successful",
    token,
    user: {
      id: user._id.toString(),
      name: user.username,
    },
    streamToken,
  });

streamRoutes Endpoint

Next, create an endpoint from which the Stream token can be called. To do this, go to your routes folder and create a new file called streamRoutes.js. In streamRoutes.js, add the command:

const express = require("express");
const { StreamChat } = require("stream-chat");

const protect = require("../middlewares/protect");

const router = express.Router();

const apiKey = process.env.STREAM_API_KEY;
const apiSecret = process.env.STREAM_API_SECRET;

if (!apiKey || !apiSecret) {
  throw new Error(
    "Missing Stream credentials. Check your environment variables."
  );
}

const streamClient = StreamChat.getInstance(apiKey, apiSecret);

router.get("/get-token", protect, async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const { id, username } = req.user || {};
    console.log(req.user.id, "User");
    // TRY LOGGING THE ID AND NAME FROM YOUR REQUEST FIRST

    if (!id || !username) {
      return res.status(400).json({ error: "Invalid user data" });
    }

    // const userId = _id.toString();
    const user = { id, username };

    // Ensure user exists in Stream backend
    await streamClient.upsertUser(user);

    // Add user to my_general_chat channel
    const channel = streamClient.channel("messaging", "my_general_chat");
    await channel.addMembers([id]);


    // Generate token
    const token = streamClient.createToken(id);
    res.status(200).json({ token, user });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Stream token generation error:", error);
    res.status(500).json({ error: "Failed to generate Stream token" });
  }
});

/**
 * @route   POST /api/stream/token
 * @desc    Generate a Stream token for any userId from request body (no auth)
 * @access  Public
 */
router.post("/token", async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const { userId, name } = req.body;

    if (!userId) {
      return res.status(400).json({ error: "userId is required" });
    }

    const userName = name || "Anonymous";
    const user = { id: userId, name: userName };

    await streamClient.upsertUser(user);

    // Add user to my_general_chat channel
    const channel = streamClient.channel("messaging", "my_general_chat");
    await channel.addMembers([userId]);


    const token = streamClient.createToken(userId);

    res.status(200).json({
      token,
      user: {
        id: userId,
        name: name,
        role: "admin",
        image: `https://getstream.io/random_png/?name=${name}`,
      },
    });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Public token generation error:", error);
    res.status(500).json({ error: "Failed to generate token" });
  }
});

module.exports = router;

User Logout Endpoint

Go to your authController.js and create a functionality that handles logging out the user:

exports.logout = catchAsync(async (req, res, next) => {
  res.cookie("token", "loggedout", {
    expires: new Date(0),
    httpOnly: true,
    secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production",
  });

  res.status(200).json({
    status: "success",
    message: "Logged out successfully",
  });
});

Then register your logout route to your userRouters.js:

const express = require("express");
const {logout}= require("../controller/authController");
const isAuthenticated = require("../middlewares/isAuthenticated");


router.post("/logout", isAuthenticated, logout);

module.exports = router;

Chat and Video Function (Frontend)

After setting up your backend Stream API, the last task is setting up chat and video in your frontend application.

Dashboard.jsx

Create a new file Dashboard.jsx in your frontend directory. This is where you will set up your Stream and video function.

import React, { useState, useEffect } from "react";
import axios from "axios";
import {
  Chat,
  Channel,
  ChannelHeader,
  MessageInput,
  MessageList,
  Thread,
  Window,
  useCreateChatClient,
} from "stream-chat-react";
import "stream-chat-react/dist/css/v2/index.css";
import { useStream } from "../../components/StreamContext";
import VideoStream from "../../components/VideoStream";
import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";



const apiKey = import.meta.env.VITE_STREAM_API_KEY;

const API_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'https://telehealth-backend-2m1f.onrender.com/api/v1';

function App() {
  const [channel, setChannel] = useState(null);
  const [clientReady, setClientReady] = useState(false);
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  // const ChatComponent = () => {
    const { user, token, Logout } = useStream();

    // Always call the hook
    const chatClient = useCreateChatClient({
      apiKey,
      tokenOrProvider: token,
      userData: user?.id ? { id: user.id } : undefined,
    });

  // Debug: See when user/token is ready
  useEffect(() => {
    console.log("Stream user:", user);
    console.log("Stream token:", token);
  }, [user, token]);

    // Connect user to Stream
    useEffect(() => {
      const connectUser = async () => {
        if (!chatClient || !user || !token || !user?.id) {
          console.warn("Missing chat setup data:", { chatClient, token, user });
          return;
        }


        try {
          await chatClient.connectUser(
            {
              id: user.id,
              name: user.name || "Anonymous",
              image:
                user.image ||
                `https://getstream.io/random_png/?name=${user.name || "user"}`,
            },
            token
          );

          const newChannel = chatClient.channel("messaging", "my_general_chat", {
            name: "General Chat",
            members: [user.id],
          });

          await newChannel.watch();
          setChannel(newChannel);
          setClientReady(true);
        } catch (err) {
          console.error("Error connecting user:", err);
        }
      };

      connectUser();
    }, [chatClient, user, token]);

    const handleVideoCallClick = () => {
      navigate("/videoCall");
  };

  const handleLogout = async () => {
    await Logout();
    navigate("/login");
  }

  if (!user || !token) {
    return <div className="text-red-600">User or token not ready.</div>;
  }

  if (!clientReady || !channel) return <div>Loading chat...</div>;


  return (
{ checkout the github repo}
            <ChannelHeader />
            <MessageList />
            <MessageInput />
          </Window>
          <Thread />
        </Channel>
      </Chat>


      </div>

    );
  }

export default App;

Video Setup

You’ll now set up the video function for your frontend. To do so, create a new file VideoStream.jsx and add the command:

import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import { StreamVideoClient } from "@stream-io/video-client";
import { StreamVideo, StreamCall } from "@stream-io/video-react-sdk";
import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";


import { useStream } from "./StreamContext";
import { MyUILayout } from "./MyUILayout";


const apiKey = import.meta.env.VITE_STREAM_API_KEY;

function VideoStream() {

  const [client, setClient] = useState(null);
    const [call, setCall] = useState(null);
  const { user, token } = useStream();
  const navigate = useNavigate();

  useEffect(() => {

    let clientInstance;
    let callInstance;


    const setup = async () => {
      if (!apiKey || !user || !token) return;

      clientInstance = new StreamVideoClient({ apiKey, user, token });

      callInstance = clientInstance.call("default", user.id); // Use user.id as callId


      await callInstance.join({ create: true });

      setClient(clientInstance);
      setCall(callInstance);
    };

    setup();

    return () => {
      if (callInstance) callInstance.leave();
      if (clientInstance) clientInstance.disconnectUser();

    };
  }, [user, token]);

  const handleLeaveCall = async () => {
    if (call) await call.leave();
    if (client) await client.disconnectUser();

    setCall(null);
    setClient(null);

    navigate("/dashboard"); // or any other route
  };

  if (!apiKey) return <div>Missing Stream API Key</div>;

  if (!client || !call)
    return (
  <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-screen text-xl font-semibold">
    Connecting to the video call...
  </div>
    );

  return (
    <div className="relative h-screen w-full p-2 sm:p-4 bg-gray-50">
      <StreamVideo client={client}>
        <StreamCall call={call}>
          <MyUILayout />
        </StreamCall>
      </StreamVideo>

      <button
        onClick={handleLeaveCall}
        className="absolute top-2 right-2 sm:top-4 sm:right-4 bg-red-600 text-white text-sm sm:text-base px-3 sm:px-4 py-1.5 sm:py-2 rounded-lg shadow hover:bg-red-700 transition"
      >
        Leave Call
      </button>
    </div>
    );
  }

export default VideoStream;

//MYUILayout.jsx
import React from 'react';
import {
  useCall,
  useCallStateHooks,
  CallingState,
} from '@stream-io/video-react-sdk';

export function MyUILayout() {
  const call = useCall();
  const { useCallCallingState, useParticipantCount } = useCallStateHooks();
  const callingState = useCallCallingState();
  const participantCount = useParticipantCount();

  if (callingState !== CallingState.JOINED) {
    return <div>Joining call...</div>;
  }

  return (
    <div style={{ padding: '1rem', fontSize: '1.2rem' }}>
      ✅ Call "<strong>{call?.id}</strong>" has <strong>{participantCount}</strong> participants.
    </div>
  );
}

Project Demo

Congratulations! You have successfully integrated Stream’s chat and video function into your application.

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap!

You’ve built a telehealth app with secure video, real-time chat, and user authentication – all powered by Stream’s Chat and Video SDKs.

This foundation gives you the flexibility to expand further with features like appointment scheduling, patient history, or HIPPA-compliant file sharing.

You can find the frontend and backend applications on GitHub. The frontend app is hosted using the Vercel hosting service, and the backend is hosted on Render.

Check out the repository of the application.

Happy coding! 🚀

Source: freeCodeCamp Programming Tutorials: Python, JavaScript, Git & More.