Digital messages are usually a one-way street. You send it, they read it, done. I wanted to flip that and give the recipient a "remix" button for their own messages.
The Tech Stack (Keep it Simple)
I didn't want to overcomplicate this or pay for a database, so I went lean:
Frontend: GitHub Pages (Free and reliable).
Backend: Node.js/Express on Hugging Face Spaces.
The AI: Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite. Itβs fast, and the 1,000 RPD free tier is a lifesaver for hobby projects.
The Coolest Part: Zero-DB Persistence πΎ
Instead of saving greetings to a database, I used LZ-String to compress the message data into a Base64 string and shoved it directly into the URL. The "Magic Link" contains everything the frontend needs to decode and display the message. No server-side storage required!
Challenges & Lessons
Prompt engineering for "Minion-speak" was harder than I thought. I had to use strict System Instructions to make sure the AI didn't just translate words but actually kept the "chaotic energy" of the characters.
Check out the live site: greetstyle.com
Checkout the source: Github
I'd love to know have you ever tried building a "database-less" app using URL states? Let's chat in the comments! π
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