Critical: .env.example References MongoDB Instead of PostgreSQL

[AliiiBenn]

Priority

🔴 Critical - Developer Experience & Onboarding

Location

.env.example:1

Problem Description

The .env.example file contains a MongoDB connection string:

DATABASE_URL=mongodb://127.0.0.1/your-database-name

However, the project is configured to use PostgreSQL via @payloadcms/db-postgres (see src/payload.config.ts:86-91).

Impact

• New developers cannot start the application without debugging
• Confusion about which database to use
• Failed migrations and connection errors
• Wasted time troubleshooting database setup
• Inconsistent with actual project configuration

Expected .env.example

# Database - PostgreSQL (Required)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/python_secrets

# Payload CMS Secret (Required)
PAYLOAD_SECRET=your-random-secret-key-here

# E2B API Key (Required - for Python code execution)
E2B_API_KEY=your-e2b-api-key

# Application URL (Required)
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

# Optional: Additional environment variables
# NODE_ENV=development

Related Files

• src/payload.config.ts - Uses postgresAdapter
• docker-compose.yml - Also incorrectly references MongoDB
• src/lib/auth.ts - Uses pg (PostgreSQL) Pool

Related Issues

• Critical: Build Errors Ignored in Production Configuration #4 - docker-compose.yml also uses MongoDB instead of PostgreSQL

Steps to Fix

1. Update .env.example with correct PostgreSQL connection string
2. Add all missing required environment variables
3. Document each variable with its purpose
4. Update docs/SETUP.md if it references the old example
5. Test with a fresh developer onboarding

Additional Context

This issue causes immediate friction for new contributors and must be fixed before anyone else tries to set up the project.