Node Transcription Starter

Speech-to-text demo using Deepgram's API with Node.js backend and web frontend.

Prerequisites

• Deepgram API Key (sign up for free)
• Node.js 24+ and pnpm 10+

Note: This project uses strict supply chain security measures. npm and yarn will NOT work - pnpm 10.0.0+ is required. See SECURITY.md for details.

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository

Clone the repository with submodules (the frontend is a shared submodule):

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/deepgram-starters/node-transcription.git
cd node-transcription

2. Install dependencies

# Option 1: Use the helper script (recommended)
pnpm run install:all

# Option 2: Manual two-step install
pnpm install
cd frontend && pnpm install && cd ..

Note: Due to security settings (ignore-scripts=true), frontend dependencies must be installed separately. The install:all script handles both steps. See SECURITY.md for details.

3. Set your API key

Create a .env file:

DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

4. Run the app

Development mode (with hot reload):

pnpm dev

Production mode (build and serve):

pnpm build
pnpm start

Open http://localhost:8080

Features

• Upload audio files or provide URLs for transcription
• Multiple model options
• View transcription history
• Responsive web interface

How It Works

• Backend (server.js): Node.js/Express server implementing the /stt/transcribe endpoint
• Frontend (frontend/): Vite-powered web UI for audio upload and transcription display
• API: Integrates with Deepgram's Speech-to-Text API

Security

This project implements comprehensive supply chain security measures including:

• Dependency pinning to exact versions
• Automated vulnerability scanning with Snyk
• Disabled lifecycle scripts
• Strict package manager enforcement (pnpm only)

See SECURITY.md for complete security documentation and reporting procedures.

Makefile Commands

This project includes a Makefile for framework-agnostic operations:

make help              # Show all available commands
make init              # Initialize submodules and install dependencies
make dev               # Start development servers
make build             # Build frontend for production
make start             # Start production server
make update            # Update submodules to latest
make clean             # Remove node_modules and build artifacts
make status            # Show git and submodule status

Use make commands for a consistent experience regardless of package manager.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please review:

• Contributing Guidelines - includes pnpm setup requirements
• Code of Conduct
• Security Policy - required for dependency updates

Getting Help

• Open an issue
• Join our Discord
• Deepgram Documentation

License

MIT - See LICENSE