GiftWish App

GiftWish: Create personalized wishlists for any occasion. Share with friends & family, prevent duplicate gifts with our reservation system, and Premium members earn cashback. Get exactly what you want

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🎁 GiftWish App Overview

Inspiration

The inspiration behind GiftWish stemmed from a common problem many people face: receiving unwanted gifts or struggling to find the perfect gift for loved ones. Traditional gift registries often limit choices to specific stores, and informal gift-giving can lead to duplicates or items that don't quite fit.

We envisioned a platform that would simplify the gift-giving process, ensure recipients receive gifts they truly desire, and add a rewarding element for both givers and receivers.

What It Does

GiftWish is a modern, full-stack web application designed to revolutionize the way people give and receive gifts. It allows users to:

  • 🎉 Create Personalized Wishlists
    Users can create multiple wishlists for various occasions (birthdays, weddings, holidays, etc.). They can add items from any online store by simply pasting a product URL, which automatically imports details like name, description, price, and images.

  • 📤 Share with Ease
    Wishlists can be shared via a unique shareable link, email, or QR code. Recipients do not need a GiftWish account to view the list.

  • 🚫 Prevent Duplicate Gifts
    A reservation system lets gift-givers “reserve” an item they plan to purchase, marking it as reserved for others and avoiding duplicates.

  • 📲 Gift Tracking & Notifications
    List owners get real-time alerts when an item is reserved or marked purchased. They can also send personalized thank-you messages.

  • 💸 Cashback Rewards (Premium Feature)
    Premium users earn 1–3% cashback on purchases made from their lists via affiliate links (e.g., Amazon, eBay).

  • 🛍️ Product Browsing
    Browse affiliate stores like Amazon and eBay from within the app and easily add eligible items to lists.

How We Built It

Tech Stack:

  • Frontend: React + TypeScript + Vite

    • Styled with Tailwind CSS
    • Animations via Framer Motion

  • Backend & Infra: Supabase

    • Database: PostgreSQL
    • Auth: Supabase Auth
    • Storage: Supabase Storage
    • Edge Functions:
    • Product URL import
    • Stripe integration (subscriptions + payouts)
    • Resend email service
    • Admin role validation
    • Affiliate product browsing

  • Email Delivery: Resend

  • Payments: Stripe + Stripe Connect

  • Deployment: Netlify with continuous deployment

Challenges We Ran Into

  • 🔁 Real-Time Data Sync
    Used Supabase Realtime to instantly reflect gift reservations across devices.

  • 🔐 Secure Stripe Integration
    Handled checkout flows, payouts, and webhooks with Stripe & Stripe Connect.

  • 🕷️ Web Scraping for Product Imports
    Scraped data from Amazon and eBay using Cheerio inside Edge Functions.

  • 🔐 Supabase Row-Level Security (RLS)
    Designed secure data access for private lists, shared links, and anonymous users.

  • 🔄 Email Synchronization
    Kept Supabase auth emails in sync with profiles table.

  • 💼 Affiliate Program Logic
    Handled cashback validation, payout capping, and product tracking.

Accomplishments We're Proud Of

  • ✅ Seamless user experience from signup to gift fulfillment
  • ✅ Real-time updates to prevent gifting overlaps
  • ✅ Cashback system with Stripe Connect
  • ✅ Functional affiliate product browser for Amazon & eBay
  • ✅ Clean and intuitive UI for mobile and desktop
  • ✅ Robust admin dashboard for blog and user management

What We Learned

  • BaaS is a Superpower: Supabase saved time and allowed feature focus.
  • RLS is Powerful: Crucial for security, but requires precise implementation.
  • Stripe Connect is Complex: Especially around onboarding and payouts.
  • Scraping Is Fragile: Future-proofing may require switching to official APIs.
  • PostgreSQL Triggers Rock: Automated syncing of auth data with profile table.
  • User-Centric Design Wins: UX iterations are essential for conversion.

🚀 What's Next for GiftWish

  • 🌍 Expanded Affiliate Partners
    More stores, more cashback options.

  • 🧠 AI Gift Suggestions
    Smarter suggestions based on behavior and trends.

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Group Gifting
    Split payments for larger gifts.

  • 📱 Mobile Apps
    iOS + Android via Expo.

  • 📊 Advanced User Analytics
    Insights into gift trends and interactions.

  • 🌐 Global Expansion
    Currencies, languages, localization.

  • ❤️ Social Features
    Follow friends’ lists, gift inspiration feeds.

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