Firebase Setup Guide

This guide covers creating a Firebase project, enabling Realtime Database, enabling Email/Password auth, creating a web app, and obtaining the SDK config to provide DecentIoT with the necessary credentials.

Note: Realtime Database (RTDB) and Firebase Authentication are used by DecentIoT's Firebase integration. If you prefer device-to-cloud communications with MQTT, skip to the MQTT Guide.

Create Firebase project

Go to https://console.firebase.google.com
Click Add project → enter a name (e.g., decentiot-demo).
Follow the wizard and finish

Project Creation Image

Create a new Firebase project

Enable Realtime Database

In your Firebase project console → Realtime Database (left menu).
Click Create database.
Choose location and start in Locked mode (recommended). You can temporarily set rules to test; secure them before production.
After creation copy the Database URL — you'll need it (e.g., https://decentiot-demo-default-rtdb.firebaseio.com).

RTDB Enabling GIF

Enable Realtime Database

Enable Authentication (Email/Password)

Go to Authentication → Sign-in method.
Enable Email/Password provider.
Optionally enable Anonymous sign-in for test devices.

Add a test user

In Authentication → Users → Add user.
Create an email/password test account for your web/mobile login or test device flow.

Create a Web App (get SDK config)

Go to Project Overview → click </> icon to add web app.
Give it a name and register the app.
Firebase will show a config snippet like this:

{
  "apiKey": "AIzaSyXXX-XXXX",
  "authDomain": "decentiot-demo.firebaseapp.com",
  "databaseURL": "https://decentiot-demo-default-rtdb.firebaseio.com",
  "projectId": "decentiot-demo",
  "storageBucket": "decentiot-demo.appspot.com",
  "messagingSenderId": "1234567890",
  "appId": "1:1234567890:web:abcdef12345"
}

Copy this block and paste it into your DecentIoT Project Settings → Firebase config field.

Setup Realtime Database rules

For Development use:

Important: these rules are permissive for quick testing. Do not use in production.

{
  "rules": {
    ".read": "auth != null",
    ".write": "auth != null"
  }
}

For Production use:

Recommended production rule (example), users can only access their projects. Adjust based on your platform's metadata structure.

{
  "rules": {
    "decentiot": {
      "$projectId": {
        ".read": "auth != null && root.child('metadata').child($projectId).child('owner').val() === auth.uid",
        ".write": "auth != null && root.child('metadata').child($projectId).child('owner').val() === auth.uid"
      }
    }
  }
}

Verify connection in DecentIoT

Paste Firebase config into DecentIoT project settings → click Verify. Platform will attempt to authenticate (using a test user token) and read/write to the configured DB path.

Device integration (options)

Direct device to Firebase: use the Firebase ESP Client library (Mobizt) for ESP32/ESP8266. This supports RTDB streaming and writes.
Recommended simpler path: use MQTT as a bridge or use your DecentIoT Library to mediate authentication and sync. (MQTT is usually simpler for constrained devices.)

There you go! 🎉. You've successfully set up DecentIoT with Firebase RTDB + Auth.

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