Is This Allowed? - Nigerian Legal & Knowledge Assistant

A modern web application that provides comprehensive answers to any question - legal matters, general knowledge, geography, history, and more. Powered by Mistral AI and tailored for Nigerian jurisdictions.

Features

✨ Comprehensive Answers - Get detailed responses on any topic with explanations and recommended actions 🗺️ Interactive Maps - View location-based information with embedded OpenStreetMap 📸 Rich Media - Images, videos, and other multimedia to illustrate answers 📍 State-Specific - Select your Nigerian state to get jurisdiction-specific legal information 🎨 Modern UI - Clean, sleek interface inspired by Wikipedia and Google

Quick Start (Important!)

Prerequisites

• Node.js v16+ - Download
• Mistral AI Key (FREE) - Get here

Setup in 3 Steps

Step 1: Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/Alaoh445/is-this-allowed.git
cd is-this-allowed
npm install

Step 2: Configure API Key

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env and add your Mistral API key:

MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_key_here

Step 3: Run the App

npm run dev:all

✅ Open browser to http://localhost:5173

Commands

npm run dev          # Frontend only (port 5173)
npm run server       # Backend only (port 5000)
npm run dev:all      # Both frontend & backend (RECOMMENDED)
npm run build        # Build for production
npm run preview      # Preview production build
npm run lint         # Check code quality

Project Structure

src/
├── pages/           # Page components
│   ├── Home.jsx     # Main search page
│   ├── Answer.jsx   # Results page with maps/images/videos
│   ├── Contact.jsx  # Contact form
│   ├── Privacy.jsx  # Privacy policy
│   └── Terms.jsx    # Terms of service
├── components/      # Reusable components
│   ├── Header.jsx
│   ├── Footer.jsx
│   └── ...
└── main.jsx         # App entry point

server.js           # Express backend API
package.json        # Dependencies & scripts
.env.example        # Environment template (copy to .env)

How It Works

1. User asks a question on the home page
2. Selects their Nigerian state for jurisdiction-specific answers
3. Backend sends query to Mistral AI via /api/answer endpoint
4. Response includes:
   • Answer (Yes/No/It Depends)
   • Detailed explanation
   • Recommended actions
   • Authoritative sources
   • Maps, images, videos (when relevant)
5. Frontend displays results with rich media

Troubleshooting Blank Page

Issue: App shows blank page

Solution 1: Check both servers are running

npm run dev:all
# You should see:
# - Vite dev server on http://localhost:5173
# - Express server listening on port 5000

Solution 2: Clear cache & reload

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (clear cache)
• Press Ctrl+F5 (hard refresh)
• Check browser console (F12) for errors

Solution 3: Check backend is responding

# In another terminal, test the API:
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/answer \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"question":"What is Nigeria?","state":"Lagos"}'

Solution 4: Verify .env file

# Make sure .env exists in root directory:
ls -la .env  # Linux/Mac
dir .env    # Windows

# Should contain:
cat .env
# PORT=5000
# MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_key_here

API Reference

POST /api/answer

Request:

{
  "question": "Can my landlord collect 2 years rent?",
  "state": "Lagos"
}

Response:

{
  "answer": "No",
  "explanation": "In Lagos State...",
  "actions": ["Step 1", "Step 2", ...],
  "sources": [{"title": "Name", "url": "https://..."}],
  "media": {
    "image_url": "https://...",
    "video_urls": ["https://..."],
    "map_data": {"latitude": 6.5244, "longitude": 3.3792}
  }
}

Environment Variables

Create .env file:

PORT=5000                          # Backend port
NODE_ENV=development               # dev or production
MISTRAL_API_KEY=sk-xxx...         # Required - Get from mistral.ai
GROQ_API_KEY=                     # Optional
OPENAI_API_KEY=                   # Optional

Deployment

Vercel (Recommended)

1. Push to GitHub
2. Import repo in vercel.com
3. Add environment variables
4. Deploy

Heroku

heroku create your-app-name
git push heroku main

Security Notes

⚠️ IMPORTANT:

• Never commit .env file
• Always use .env.example as template
• Rotate API keys regularly
• Keep .gitignore updated

Tech Stack

• React 19
• React Router 7
• Vite (build tool)
• Express.js (backend)
• Mistral AI (AI responses)
• OpenStreetMap (maps)

Contributing

1. Fork repo
2. Create feature branch
3. Commit changes
4. Push & create PR

License

MIT

Support

• 🐛 Found a bug? Open issue
• 📧 Email: support@isthisallowed.com
• 💬 Questions? Check Discussions

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Made with ❤️ by Alaoh | Powered by Mistral AI