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Overview

The appsettings.json file is the central configuration file for AndanDo. It contains all application settings including database connection strings, JWT authentication, email configuration, PayPal integration, and logging settings.
The configuration file is located at the root of the AndanDo project: ~/AndanDo/appsettings.json

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Configuration Structure

The appsettings.json file is divided into several main sections: 
{
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
    }
  },
  "AllowedHosts": "*",
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=your-server;Database=AndandoDB;User Id=your-user;Password=your-password;TrustServerCertificate=true;"
  },
  "Jwt": {
    "Issuer": "AndanDo",
    "Audience": "AndanDo",
    "SecretKey": "your-secret-key-min-32-characters",
    "ExpirationMinutes": 120
  },
  "Smtp": {
    "Host": "smtp.gmail.com",
    "Port": 587,
    "UseSsl": false,
    "UseStartTls": true,
    "User": "[email protected]",
    "Password": "your-app-password",
    "FromEmail": "[email protected]",
    "FromName": "AndanDO"
  },
  "PayPal": {
    "Mode": "sandbox",
    "ClientId": "your-paypal-client-id",
    "ClientSecret": "your-paypal-client-secret",
    "BaseUrl": "https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com"
  }
}

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Configuration Sections

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Logging

Controls application logging behavior using ASP.NET Core’s built-in logging framework. 
"Logging": {
  "LogLevel": {
    "Default": "Information",
    "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
  }
}
PropertyDescriptionValues
DefaultDefault log level for all categoriesTrace, Debug, Information, Warning, Error, Critical, None
Microsoft.AspNetCoreLog level for ASP.NET Core framework messagesSame as above
In production, set Default to Warning or Error to reduce log noise and improve performance.

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AllowedHosts

Specifies which hosts are allowed to access the application. 
"AllowedHosts": "*"
Using "*" allows all hosts. In production, specify exact domains:
"AllowedHosts": "andando.com;www.andando.com"

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ConnectionStrings

Defines database connection strings. See Database Configuration for detailed information. 
"ConnectionStrings": {
  "DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;Database=AndandoDB;..."
}

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JWT Configuration

Configures JWT token generation for API authentication. See JWT Configuration for detailed information. 
"Jwt": {
  "Issuer": "AndanDo",
  "Audience": "AndanDo",
  "SecretKey": "your-secret-key",
  "ExpirationMinutes": 120
}

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SMTP Configuration

Configures email sending via SMTP. See Email Configuration for detailed information. 
"Smtp": {
  "Host": "smtp.gmail.com",
  "Port": 587,
  "UseSsl": false,
  "UseStartTls": true,
  "User": "[email protected]",
  "Password": "your-password",
  "FromEmail": "[email protected]",
  "FromName": "AndanDO"
}

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PayPal Configuration

Configures PayPal payment integration. See PayPal Configuration for detailed information. 
"PayPal": {
  "Mode": "sandbox",
  "ClientId": "your-client-id",
  "ClientSecret": "your-client-secret",
  "BaseUrl": "https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com"
}

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Loading Configuration in Program.cs

Configuration sections are bound to strongly-typed options classes in Program.cs:
Program.cs
// JWT Configuration
builder.Services.Configure<JwtOptions>(builder.Configuration.GetSection("Jwt"));
builder.Services.AddScoped<IJwtTokenService, JwtTokenService>();

// SMTP Configuration
builder.Services.Configure<SmtpOptions>(builder.Configuration.GetSection("Smtp"));
builder.Services.AddScoped<IEmailService, EmailService>();

// PayPal Configuration
builder.Services.Configure<PaypalOptions>(builder.Configuration.GetSection("PayPal"));
builder.Services.AddHttpClient<IPaypalService, PaypalService>();

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Environment-Specific Configuration

Create environment-specific configuration files that override base settings:
appsettings.Development.json
{
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Debug",
      "Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Information"
    }
  },
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=localhost;Database=AndandoDB_Dev;..."
  },
  "PayPal": {
    "Mode": "sandbox"
  }
}
ASP.NET Core automatically loads the environment-specific file based on the ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT variable.
For sensitive data in development, use User Secrets instead of committing credentials:
# Initialize user secrets
dotnet user-secrets init

# Set a secret
dotnet user-secrets set "Jwt:SecretKey" "your-dev-secret-key"
dotnet user-secrets set "ConnectionStrings:DefaultConnection" "your-connection-string"
User secrets override appsettings.json values during development.
In production, use environment variables to override configuration:
# Format: Section__Property
export ConnectionStrings__DefaultConnection="Server=prod-server;..."
export Jwt__SecretKey="production-secret-key"
export Smtp__Password="production-smtp-password"
Environment variables have the highest priority in the configuration hierarchy.

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Security Best Practices

Never commit sensitive data to source control
  • Use User Secrets for development
  • Use Environment Variables or Azure Key Vault for production
  • Add appsettings.*.json files with secrets to .gitignore
  • Rotate secrets regularly
Configuration Priority Order (highest to lowest):
  1. Environment Variables
  2. User Secrets (Development only)
  3. appsettings..json
  4. appsettings.json
  5. Default values in Options classes

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