Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• An OpenAI API key with billing enabled

Install

git clone https://github.com/jTomasek-ux/Ross-AI.git
cd Ross-AI
npm install

Environment variables

Copy the example file and add your key:

# macOS / Linux
cp .env.example .env.local

# Windows (PowerShell)
copy .env.example .env.local

Edit .env.local:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...your-real-key...

Optional public URLs (for docs and app links):

NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXT_PUBLIC_DOCS_URL=http://localhost:3000/docs

.env.local is gitignored and never committed.

Run the dev server

npm run dev

You should see Environments: .env.local in the terminal. Open:

• App: http://localhost:3000
• Docs: http://localhost:3000/docs

Restart the dev server after changing .env.local. Next.js only loads env files on startup.

Test an analysis

1. Go to /analyze
2. Upload a text-based PDF (not a scanned image)
3. Keep the file under 4MB
4. Click Analyze Contract

If the key is missing, the API returns 503 with a clear error message.