Apply For China FAQ Hub

What This Is

The Apply For China FAQ Hub is a private online FAQ tool for consultants.

Staff site:
https://staff.applyforchina.com/faq

Consultants can use it to:

• Search questions, answers, and keywords
• Open answers from dropdown cards
• Copy answers for WhatsApp replies
• View the latest shared FAQ content

Approved editors can also:

• Add new FAQ entries
• Edit existing entries
• Delete entries
• Reorder entries by using the Drag handle

How Access Works

Firebase FAQ Login

Firebase controls who can view and edit the FAQ library on this staff site. The separate Cloudflare Worker uses Cloudflare Access, but changes there do not update this page.

Only these editor emails are approved:

• info@applyforchina.com
• surbhikesh@gmail.com

Only the approved Firebase accounts listed above can view the FAQ library. Consultant viewer accounts require a separate approved-user role in the site and Firebase rules.

Approved Editor Accounts

• info@applyforchina.com
• surbhikesh@gmail.com

Passwords are managed in Firebase Authentication and must never be embedded in this website file.

Managing Consultant Access

Cloudflare Access controls the separate Worker URL, not this DigitalOcean-hosted staff page. To give consultants view-only access here, add approved Firebase accounts and a viewer role to the website and Firebase rules first.

Managing Editors

Use Firebase Authentication for editor accounts.

Add Or Reset An Editor

1. Log in to Firebase.
2. Open the Apply For China FAQ Hub project.
3. Go to Authentication.
4. Go to Users.
5. Add or reset the editor account.
6. Set a secure password.

Do not share editor passwords in chat or email.

Editing The FAQ

1. Open the FAQ Hub website.
2. Open Editor sign in.
3. Sign in with an approved editor email.
4. Edit, add, delete, or reorder entries with the Drag handle.
5. Changes are saved to Firebase and should update for everyone.

If the edit buttons or drag-and-drop are not working, the editor is probably not signed in.

Firestore Rules

The Firestore rules should require an approved signed-in editor account for both reading and writing the FAQ.

Use these rules in Firebase Firestore:

rules_version = '2';

service cloud.firestore {
  match /databases/{database}/documents {
    match /faqEntries/{docId} {
      allow read: if request.auth != null
        && request.auth.token.email in [
          "info@applyforchina.com",
          "surbhikesh@gmail.com"
        ];

      allow create, update, delete: if request.auth != null
        && request.auth.token.email in [
          "info@applyforchina.com",
          "surbhikesh@gmail.com"
        ];
    }
  }
}

Firebase Storage Rules

Images and documents are uploaded to Firebase Storage. Only approved signed-in editor accounts can view/download or upload attachments.

Use these rules in Firebase Storage:

rules_version = '2';

service firebase.storage {
  match /b/{bucket}/o {
    match /faq-attachments/{entryId}/{fileName} {
      allow read: if request.auth != null
        && request.auth.token.email in [
          "info@applyforchina.com",
          "surbhikesh@gmail.com"
        ];

      allow write: if request.auth != null
        && request.auth.token.email in [
          "info@applyforchina.com",
          "surbhikesh@gmail.com"
        ];
    }
  }
}

Updating This Staff Page

This page is served from frontend/faq.html by the DigitalOcean staff application. The separate Cloudflare Worker is not the deployment target for this page.

To update this page:

1. Back up the current frontend/faq.html and running Docker image.
2. Replace only frontend/faq.html in the staff server repository.
3. Rebuild only the gpt-researcher Docker Compose service.
4. Check /faq and the other staff routes; roll back if any check fails.

If The FAQ Looks Broken

Check the Firebase connection, Authentication users, and Firestore rules. Do not clear the shared database; the website no longer includes a public backup of the FAQ content.

Troubleshooting

If an approved editor cannot open the FAQ library:

• Check that their account exists in Firebase Authentication.
• Check that their email is on the approved editor list.
• Check the Firestore and Storage rules for matching access.

If an editor cannot sign in:

• Check that Email/Password sign-in is enabled in Firebase Authentication.
• Check that the editor account exists in Firebase Authentication.
• Reset the editor password if needed.
• Make sure the email is one of the approved editor emails.

If a deployment does not load:

• Check the staff application's /faq route and Docker service.
• Restore the backed-up FAQ file and Docker image if health checks fail.

Recommended Admin Routine

• Add or remove approved FAQ viewer accounts when the viewer role is available.
• Keep editor access limited.
• Review approved Firebase accounts regularly.
• Avoid sharing one common password.