✉️ Lettersmith AI

Lettersmith AI is a modern web app that helps you instantly generate tailored cover letters using your CV and job description — right in the browser.

Built with Next.js 15, React 19, Framer Motion, and powered by OpenRouter API, it combines a sleek user experience with serverless AI generation.

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🚀 Features

• ✨ Generate custom cover letters from your CV + job description
• 📄 Upload .pdf or .docx resumes (processed fully in-browser)
• 🔄 Choose tone, length, style, and language
• ⚙️ Copy, download as PDF or DOCX — all in one click
• ⚡ Fast, no backend API calls for file parsing (client-side parsing)
• 🎨 Smooth animations, responsive design, minimal UI

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🛠 Tech Stack

• Framework: Next.js (App Router, React Server Components)
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Animation: Framer Motion
• PDF Parsing: pdfjs-dist
• DOCX Parsing: mammoth
• Export Utilities: pdf-lib, docx
• AI API: OpenRouter (LLM wrapper)

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🧪 Getting Started

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/your-username/lettersmith.git
cd lettersmith

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Set up your OpenRouter API key

Rename the included env.txt file to .env:

mv env.txt .env

Then edit the file and replace:

OPENROUTERS_API_KEY = "API KEY HERE"

with your actual OpenRouter API key.

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4. Start the development server

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

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📂 Project Structure

``` src/ ├── app/ │ ├── Components/ │ │ └── Chat/CoverLetter/ │ │ ├── CoverInput.js # User form │ │ ├── CoverShow.js # Output display │ │ ├── Uploader.js # Upload CV │ │ └── ActionButtons.js # Copy/Download/etc │ ├── utils/ │ │ ├── extractText.js # In-browser PDF/DOCX parsing │ │ ├── generatePDF.js │ │ └── generateDOCX.js │ └── api/Chat/Cover/route.js # API route calling OpenRouter ```

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🧠 Notes

• 🔐 CV file parsing is 100% in-browser — your data stays local.
• 📡 AI generation uses the OpenRouter API. You must provide an API key via .env.
• 📄 PDF and DOCX downloads are editable and selectable, not screenshots.
• 🧼 Includes graceful error handling and toast notifications.
• 🧪 If a file fails to parse, users are informed and asked to paste CV text manually.

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🧳 Deploying

You can deploy on any Node.js-compatible host, but Vercel is recommended:

npm run build
npm start

To deploy on Vercel:

1. Push your project to GitHub
2. Import your repo into Vercel
3. Set OPENROUTERS_API_KEY in Project Settings → Environment Variables

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💡 Why Lettersmith?

Writing personalized cover letters is painful. Lettersmith AI removes the friction by giving you high-quality drafts that still feel yours — with just a few clicks.

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📬 License

MIT — Free to use, fork, and improve.