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Supabase Account Setup

Path B only

This page is only needed if you're following Path B (full web app with login and a database). If you're doing Path A (personal profile site), you can skip this and go straight to Setting Up Your Project.

Supabase is an open-source platform that gives us two things we need for a login-protected web app:

  1. A database — to store your app's data
  2. Authentication — to let users log in with Google, GitHub, or email/password

Think of Supabase as the backend of your app. Your website (the frontend) talks to Supabase to save and retrieve data, and Supabase handles all the security around who's allowed to access what.

Step 1: Create a Supabase account​

  1. Go to supabase.com
  2. Click Start your project (or Sign Up)
  3. Sign up with your GitHub account — this is the easiest option since you already have one
  4. Authorize Supabase to access your GitHub account when prompted

Step 2: Create a new project​

After signing up, you'll be taken to the Supabase dashboard.

  1. Click New Project
  2. Choose your organization (Supabase creates a default one for you)
  3. Fill in the project details:
    • Project name: Choose a name for your project (e.g., my-app)
    • Database password: Click Generate a password and save this password somewhere safe (e.g., a password manager). You'll need it later.
    • Region: Pick the one closest to you geographically
  4. Click Create new project

The project will take about 2 minutes to set up. Wait for it to finish.

Save your database password!

You won't be shown this password again. If you lose it, you'll have to reset it. Save it in a password manager or a secure note now.

Step 3: Find your API keys​

Once your project is ready, you need to locate your Publishable key — your app will use this to connect to Supabase.

  1. In the Supabase dashboard, click Project Settings (gear icon) in the left sidebar
  2. Click API Keys
  3. You'll see two sections on this page:
    • Publishable key — under this heading you'll see a key named "default" starting with sb_publishable_.... This is the one we need.
    • Secret keys — a key named "default" starting with sb_secret_.... Ignore this one — we won't use it.
  4. Click on your Publishable key to reveal and copy it

You'll also need your Project URL. To find it:

  1. Go to Project Settings > General
  2. Under General settings, find the Reference ID
  3. Your Project URL is https://YOUR_REFERENCE_ID.supabase.co

Keep these values handy — you'll need them when we set up the project.

Are these keys secret?

The Publishable key (sb_publishable_...) is safe to include in your frontend code. It's designed to be public. Supabase uses Row Level Security (RLS) on the database to control what data users can access, so even with this key, users can only see what you explicitly allow.

The Secret key (sb_secret_...) is secret and should never be put in frontend code. We won't need it for this project.

Step 4: Verify your setup​

Confirm all of the following:

  • You can log in to supabase.com and see your dashboard
  • You have a project created (status shows "Active")
  • You can find your Project URL and Publishable key in Settings > API Keys
  • You have your database password saved somewhere safe

What's next?​

Your Supabase account is ready. When we set up the project, we'll connect your app to Supabase and configure social login providers (Google, GitHub). For now, you're all set with the account.