System Design

⏱ 8 min read A trending topics system surfaces content gaining rapid engagement — the top hashtags on Twitter, trending searches on Google, or […] Read article

⏱ 8 min read An order tracking system maintains the lifecycle of a purchase from placement through delivery, providing real-time status to customers and Read article

⏱ 8 min read A user presence system tracks whether users are online, offline, or idle — powering the green dots in Slack, WhatsApp, Read article

⏱ 9 min read A payment processing pipeline accepts customer payment details, communicates with a payment processor (Stripe, Braintree, Adyen), and reliably records the Read article

⏱ 9 min read A shopping cart and checkout system manages the in-progress purchase state from item addition through payment completion. Core challenges: persisting Read article

⏱ 9 min read An organization hierarchy system models nested teams, departments, and reporting relationships — essential in B2B SaaS, HR platforms, and enterprise Read article

⏱ 9 min read A link preview service fetches URL metadata (title, description, image) to render rich embeds when users share links — familiar Read article

⏱ 9 min read Email verification confirms a user controls the email address they registered with, blocking fake accounts, disposable addresses, and typo’d emails Read article

⏱ 9 min read An audit trail is an append-only log of every action taken on sensitive resources — who changed what, when, and Read article

⏱ 8 min read A subscription pause feature lets users temporarily halt their billing and access without cancelling. Common in SaaS and subscription boxes: Read article

⏱ 9 min read A loyalty points system rewards users for purchases and engagement, allowing them to redeem points for discounts or free items. Read article

⏱ 8 min read A real-time location tracking system records device positions, supports geofencing, proximity queries, and stores movement history at scale. Core challenges: Read article

⏱ 10 min read A file deduplication system eliminates redundant storage by detecting files with identical content and storing each unique payload exactly once. Read article

⏱ 8 min read A scheduled notification system delivers messages at a future time specified by the user or application logic — appointment reminders, Read article

⏱ 7 min read A configuration management system stores, versions, and distributes application settings at runtime — feature flags, rate limits, connection strings, A/B Read article