[Docs] Document NEXT_PUBLIC_MARKET_BASE_URL and Market API contract for self-hosters

[PrakrutR]

📚 Documentation Request

Background

I discovered that LobeChat already supports custom market server URLs via the NEXT_PUBLIC_MARKET_BASE_URL environment variable. This is excellent for self-hosters who want to run their own marketplace infrastructure. However, this capability is currently undocumented.

What's Missing

1. Environment Variable Documentation

   • NEXT_PUBLIC_MARKET_BASE_URL is not listed in the self-hosting environment variables documentation
   • No guidance on when/why self-hosters might want to configure this

2. Market API Contract Documentation

   • No documentation explaining what endpoints a compatible market server must implement
   • The @lobehub/market-sdk package is used internally but its expected API contract isn't publicly documented

Requested Documentation

1. Add to Environment Variables docs:

Variable	Description	Default
NEXT_PUBLIC_MARKET_BASE_URL	Custom market server URL for self-hosted marketplace	https://market.lobehub.com

2. Create a "Self-hosting Custom Market" guide covering:

• When to use a custom market server (privacy, enterprise, air-gapped environments)
• Required API endpoints (agents, plugins, MCPs, models, providers)
• Authentication requirements (M2M tokens, OIDC flows)
• Example minimal implementation or reference to @lobehub/market-sdk types

Why This Matters

Self-hosting is a key strength of LobeChat. Documenting the market customization capability would:

• Empower privacy-conscious deployments
• Support enterprise/air-gapped environments
• Reduce support burden by enabling community-built solutions

References

• Related feature already exists in code: src/server/services/discover/index.ts
• SDK packages: @lobehub/market-sdk, @lobehub/market-types
• My previous issue: #10752

[github-actions]

Found 1 possible duplicate issue:

1. [Request] Self-hostable Market Server for Agents, Plugins, MCPs, and Provider Info #10752

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[PrakrutR]

This is not a duplicate of #10752.

#10752 was a feature request asking for a new self-hostable market server to be built.

This issue is a documentation request for an existing feature — the NEXT_PUBLIC_MARKET_BASE_URL environment variable already exists in the codebase but is undocumented. I'm asking for documentation so self-hosters can implement their own compatible market servers.