Web Push (VAPID)

Booking Calendar uses browser-native push notifications to alert admins of new appointments and other events. This is powered by the VAPID (Voluntary Application Server Identification) protocol.

How it Works

1. Frontend: The browser generates a push subscription using your Public VAPID Key.
2. Backend: The server stores these subscriptions and uses the Private VAPID Key to sign and send notifications through the browser's push service (e.g., Google's FCM or Apple's Push Service).

Generating Keys

You can generate a fresh pair of VAPID keys using the built-in generator:

bun run generate-vapid-keys

This will create a vapid-keys.txt file in your root directory containing lines you can copy-paste directly into your .env file:

VITE_VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY=BEl...
VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY=2Vw...

Configuration Steps

1. Update .env: Copy the generated keys into your .env file.
2. Rebuild Frontend: Since the Public Key is a build-time variable (VITE_), you must rebuild:
   • Local: cd src/client && bun run build
   • Docker: docker compose up -d --build
3. Restart Server: The backend needs to read the Private Key at startup.
4. Subscribe: Open the admin panel, go to Settings, and enable Push Notifications. Your browser will prompt you for permission.

BROWSER SUPPORT

Push notifications require a secure context (HTTPS) and are supported by most modern browsers on Desktop and Android. On iOS, they are supported when the app is "Added to Home Screen" (PWA mode).