Build an automated feedback collector

Building an automated feedback collector involves creating a system that allows users to submit feedback seamlessly and then storing, analyzing, and possibly visualizing that data. Here’s a complete walkthrough of how to build one using a simple tech stack:

Tech Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (React for interactivity)

• Backend: Node.js with Express

• Database: MongoDB or PostgreSQL

• Optional: Email notifications (e.g., using Nodemailer)

Step 1: Database Schema

Assuming MongoDB:

json
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{
  "name": "User Name",
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "feedback": "I love your product!",
  "rating": 4,
  "submittedAt": "2025-05-18T10:20:00Z"
}

Step 2: Backend (Node.js with Express)

javascript
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const express = require('express');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const cors = require('cors');

const app = express();
app.use(cors());
app.use(express.json());

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/feedbackCollector', {
  useNewUrlParser: true,
  useUnifiedTopology: true,
});

const FeedbackSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  name: String,
  email: String,
  feedback: String,
  rating: Number,
  submittedAt: {
    type: Date,
    default: Date.now,
  },
});

const Feedback = mongoose.model('Feedback', FeedbackSchema);

app.post('/api/feedback', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const feedback = new Feedback(req.body);
    await feedback.save();
    res.status(201).json({ message: 'Feedback submitted successfully!' });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to submit feedback' });
  }
});

app.get('/api/feedback', async (req, res) => {
  const feedbacks = await Feedback.find().sort({ submittedAt: -1 });
  res.json(feedbacks);
});

app.listen(5000, () => console.log('Server running on port 5000'));

Step 3: Frontend (React Component)

javascript
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import React, { useState } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';

const FeedbackForm = () => {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({
    name: '',
    email: '',
    feedback: '',
    rating: 5,
  });

  const [success, setSuccess] = useState(false);

  const handleChange = (e) => {
    const { name, value } = e.target;
    setFormData(prev => ({ ...prev, [name]: value }));
  };

  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    await axios.post('http://localhost:5000/api/feedback', formData);
    setFormData({ name: '', email: '', feedback: '', rating: 5 });
    setSuccess(true);
  };

  return (
    <div className="p-4 max-w-lg mx-auto">
      <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold mb-4">Submit Feedback</h2>
      {success && <div className="text-green-600">Thanks for your feedback!</div>}
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
        <input name="name" placeholder="Name" required value={formData.name} onChange={handleChange} className="border p-2 w-full mb-2" />
        <input name="email" type="email" placeholder="Email" required value={formData.email} onChange={handleChange} className="border p-2 w-full mb-2" />
        <textarea name="feedback" placeholder="Your feedback" required value={formData.feedback} onChange={handleChange} className="border p-2 w-full mb-2" />
        <select name="rating" value={formData.rating} onChange={handleChange} className="border p-2 w-full mb-4">
          {[1, 2, 3, 4, 5].map(r => <option key={r} value={r}>{r} Star{r > 1 ? 's' : ''}</option>)}
        </select>
        <button type="submit" className="bg-blue-600 text-white p-2 w-full rounded">Submit</button>
      </form>
    </div>
  );
};

export default FeedbackForm;

Step 4: Visualization (Optional Admin Page)

You can build an admin dashboard using Chart.js or Recharts in React to visualize:

• Number of feedback entries

• Average rating

• Feedback over time

Step 5: Email Notifications (Optional)

Using Nodemailer:

javascript
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const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');

const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
  service: 'Gmail',
  auth: {
    user: 'your-email@example.com',
    pass: 'your-password',
  },
});

const sendNotification = async (feedback) => {
  await transporter.sendMail({
    from: 'your-email@example.com',
    to: 'admin@example.com',
    subject: 'New Feedback Received',
    text: `New feedback from ${feedback.name}: ${feedback.feedback}`,
  });
};

Security & Validation Tips

• Sanitize inputs

• Implement rate-limiting or CAPTCHA

• Use HTTPS in production

• Secure MongoDB with auth and firewalls

This automated feedback collector can be deployed on platforms like Vercel (frontend) and Heroku or Render (backend), with MongoDB Atlas for database hosting. Let me know if you need deployment steps or enhancements like sentiment analysis or Slack integration.