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-The website is live at https://scruter.onrender.com <br>
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+# Scruter
+
+Scruter is a local classifieds and community site designed to bring people together for buying, selling, and exchanging goods and services.
+
+## Live Demo
+
+Access the live version of Scruter at [scruter.onrender.com](https://scruter.onrender.com).
+
+![Scruter Preview](/blob/main/public/screenshot.png)
+
+## Features
+
+- **Local Commerce**: Connect with your community to buy, sell, and find goods and services.
+- **Classified Ads**: Post and browse ads for housing, food, and items for sale.
+- **Community Connection**: Discover what your local area has to offer and interact with others nearby.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before setting up the project, ensure you have the following installed:
+
+- **Node.js**: Download and install from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/).
+- **MongoDB**: Set up an account at [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.mongodb.com/cloud/atlas).
+- **Cloudinary Account**: Sign up at [Cloudinary](https://cloudinary.com/).
+
+## Installation
+
+Follow these steps to set up Scruter locally:
+1. **Clone the repository**
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/swarooppatilx/scruter.git
+cd scruter
+```
+2. **Install dependencies**
+
+Run the following command to install the necessary packages:
+```bash
+npm install
+```
+3. **Create a .env file**
+
+In the project root, create a .env file and add the following environment variables
+
+```bash
+[label .env ]
+DB_URL=your_mongo_db_url
+SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret
+CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
+CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
+CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret
+```
+
+4. **Running the Application**
+
+To start the application, use one of the following commands:
+
+**Start the server**
+```bash
+npm start
+```
+
+**Start the server with Nodemon**
+
+Nodemon automatically restarts the server upon detecting file changes:
+
+```bash
+npm test
+```
+
+## Technologies Used
+
+Scruter is built using the following technologies:
+
+- **Node.js**
+- **Express.js**
+- **MongoDB**
+- **EJS (Embedded JavaScript templating)**
+- **Cloudinary (Image hosting)**
+- **Bootstrap (CSS framework)**
+    
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions are welcome! Follow these steps to contribute:
+
+Fork the repository
+
+Click the "Fork" button at the top-right corner of the repository page to create a personal copy.
+    
+**Clone your forked repository**
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/your-username/scruter.git
+cd scruter
+```
+
+**Create a new branch**
+```bash
+git checkout -b feature-branch-name
+```
+
+**Make your changes and commit them**
+```bash
+git commit -m 'Add some feature'
+```
+
+**Push to the branch**
+```bash
+git push origin feature-branch-name
+```
+
+**Submit a pull request**
+
+Go to the original repository and click on the "Pull Request" button to submit your changes.
+
+**License**
+
+This project is licensed under the [GPL-3.0 License](/blob/main/LICENSE).
+
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