Program Supabase Edge Functions Locally 🚀

When working with Bolt.new in WebContainer, you can’t deploy Supabase Edge Functions directly from the environment. Don’t worry - this isn’t as complicated as it might sound! Think of it like cooking in your own kitchen (your local machine) instead of a restaurant kitchen (WebContainer). This guide will walk you through the process step by step.

What are Edge Functions?

Edge Functions are like mini-programs that run close to your users, making your app faster and more responsive. Imagine having small helpers stationed around the world, ready to assist your users instantly instead of everything going through one central location.

Local Setup Requirements

Before we begin, let’s gather our tools - just like you’d gather ingredients before cooking:

Required Software
- Node.js LTS from nodejs.org - This is like the basic kitchen equipment
- Docker Desktop from docker.com - Think of this as your specialized cooking appliance
Verify Installations Don’t worry if this looks technical - it’s just making sure our tools are ready:
- Download and install Node.js LTS from nodejs.org
- Verify installation:
```
node --version
npm --version
docker --version
```
If you see numbers after running these commands, you’re good to go!
Supabase CLI Installation This is like installing your kitchen’s control panel:
```
npm install supabase -g
```

Deployment Process

1. Initial Setup

First, make sure Docker Desktop is running - you’ll see its icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac). It’s like turning on your kitchen appliances before cooking.

Now, let’s connect everything:

# Login to Supabase CLI
supabase login

# Important: The login command will show you a website link (URL).
# If clicking the link doesn't work (this happens often!), manually go to:
# https://supabase.com/dashboard/account/tokens
# and create a new token (think of it like getting a new key to your kitchen)

# Use your new "key" (token) like this:
supabase login --token your-access-token

# Link your project
supabase link --project-ref your-project-ref

# Start the local development environment
supabase start

Replace your-project-ref with your project reference ID from: Project Settings > General settings > Reference ID (looks like: abcdefghijklm)

2. Docker Configuration

Docker is like a special container system that keeps everything organized and separated. Sometimes it needs special permissions:

If you encounter Docker permission issues on Linux:

# Add your user to the docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Verify docker can run without sudo
docker run hello-world

For Windows/Mac users, ensure Docker Desktop is running before using Supabase CLI.

3. Environment Configuration

Think of environment variables as secret recipes that your application needs:

# Set required environment variables
supabase secrets set MY_API_KEY=your-api-key

4. Local Development

# Serve functions locally
supabase functions serve

# Test specific function
supabase functions serve your-function-name

# If you need to specify a port
supabase functions serve --port 9999

5. Function Deployment

Before deploying, ensure you’re authenticated:

# Verify login status
supabase projects list

# If not logged in, authenticate with your token
supabase login --token your-access-token

# Deploy your function
supabase functions deploy your-function-name

# Deploy with specific import map
supabase functions deploy your-function-name --import-map ./import_map.json

Creating Deployment Instructions for Your Project

To get specific deployment instructions for your Bolt.new project, ask Bolt:

"Please create a deployment.md file for my Supabase Edge Functions with:
1. Required environment variables from my code
2. SQL setup if my function needs database tables
3. Function-specific configuration
4. Testing instructions"

Example Edge Function Structure

import { serve } from 'https://deno.land/std@0.168.0/http/server.ts'
import { createClient } from 'https://esm.sh/@supabase/supabase-js@2'

serve(async (req) => {
  try {
    // Your function logic here
    const response = { message: 'Success' }
    return new Response(JSON.stringify(response), {
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      status: 200,
    })
  } catch (error) {
    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }), {
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      status: 500,
    })
  }
})

Verification Steps

List Deployed Functions
```
supabase functions list
```

Local Testing

supabase functions serve your-function-name

Troubleshooting Guide

Docker Issues

Container Not Starting

# Stop all containers
docker stop $(docker ps -a -q)

# Remove all containers
docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)

# Verify no containers running
docker ps

# Start Supabase fresh
supabase start

Port Conflicts

# Find process using port
lsof -i :54321

# Kill process
kill -9 <PID>

Common Issues and Solutions

Don’t panic if something goes wrong! Here are common problems and their solutions:

Permission Errors Just like you might need special permission to use certain kitchen equipment:
- Run terminal as Administrator (Windows)
- Check file permissions (Unix)
- Verify Docker permissions
- Check Supabase token permissions
Deployment Failures Like when your cooking equipment isn’t properly connected:
- Verify CLI login status
- Check project linking
- Validate environment variables
- Ensure Docker is running
- Check network connectivity
Runtime Errors
- Check Supabase logs
- Verify TypeScript types
- Test locally before deployment
- Verify import maps
- Check Docker logs

Best Practices

Just like keeping your kitchen clean and organized:

Version Control
- Keep function code in version control
- Document deployment steps
- Track environment variables
Testing
- Test locally before deployment
- Verify error handling
- Check authentication flows
Security
- Use environment variables for secrets
- Implement proper authentication
- Validate input data

Need Help?

Remember, everyone was a beginner once! If you get stuck: