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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Bun (latest version)
  • A code editor (VS Code, Cursor, etc.)
  • Git

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Installation

1

Clone the repository

Clone the project to your local machine:
git clone <repository-url>
cd shopify-rss-feed-gchat
2

Install dependencies

Install all required packages using Bun:
bun install
This will install the following dependencies:
  • hono - Fast web framework for routing
  • rss-parser - RSS feed parsing library
  • @types/bun - TypeScript types for Bun
3

Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:
touch .env
Add your Google Chat webhook URL:
.env
WEBHOOK_URL=https://chat.googleapis.com/v1/spaces/YOUR_SPACE_ID/messages?key=YOUR_KEY
Bun automatically loads .env files, so no additional configuration is needed.

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Project Structure

The project follows a simple, modular structure: 
shopify-rss-feed-gchat/
├── server.ts              # Main Hono server with routing
├── rss-handler.ts         # RSS feed processing logic
├── package.json           # Project dependencies and scripts
├── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration
├── vercel.json            # Vercel deployment config with cron
├── .env                   # Environment variables (not in repo)
└── README.md              # Project documentation

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Key Files

The main application server using Hono framework:
  • Defines routes for healthcheck and RSS feed processing
  • Exports the app for Vercel deployment
  • Located at: server.ts:1
Core RSS feed processing logic:
  • Fetches Shopify changelog RSS feed
  • Filters new items since last check
  • Formats and sends messages to Google Chat
  • Located at: rss-handler.ts:1
Deployment configuration:
  • Defines cron job to run daily at midnight UTC
  • Triggers /get-rss-feed endpoint
  • Located at: vercel.json:1

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Running the Development Server

Start the development server with hot reloading: 
bun run dev
This command runs bun run --hot server.ts, which:
  • Starts the Hono server
  • Enables hot module reloading (automatically restarts on file changes)
  • Makes the API available at http://localhost:3000
The --hot flag enables Bun’s built-in hot reloading, so you don’t need nodemon or similar tools.

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Available Endpoints

Once the server is running, you can access:

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Healthcheck

GET http://localhost:3000/healthcheck
Returns “Running!” to verify the server is up.

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RSS Feed Handler

GET http://localhost:3000/get-rss-feed
Processes the Shopify RSS feed and sends updates to Google Chat.

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Development Workflow

1

Start the dev server

bun run dev
2

Make changes to the code

Edit files in your code editor. The server will automatically reload when you save changes.
3

Test your changes

Use curl, Postman, or your browser to test the endpoints.See the Testing Guide for detailed testing instructions.

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TypeScript Configuration

The project uses strict TypeScript settings for better code quality:
  • Target: ESNext (latest JavaScript features)
  • Module: Preserve (for Bun’s bundler)
  • Strict mode: Enabled
  • JSX: react-jsx (if needed for future UI components)
Bun has built-in TypeScript support, so no separate compilation step is needed.

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Troubleshooting

If port 3000 is already in use, Bun will automatically try the next available port. Check the console output for the actual port number.
Make sure you’ve created a .env file with a valid WEBHOOK_URL. The application will throw an error if this is missing when trying to send messages.
Run bun install again to ensure all dependencies are properly installed.

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Next Steps

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