diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..173a626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+/config.py
+
+__pycache__
diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index 43dfdb3..e620572 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -4,11 +4,17 @@ from sqlalchemy import MetaData
 from flask_migrate import Migrate
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
-app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = 'postgresql:///forget'
-app.config['SQLALCHEMY_ECHO'] = True
-app.config['SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS'] = False
 
-app.secret_key = 'hunter2'
+default_config = {
+        "SQLALCHEMY_ECHO": True,
+        "SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS": False,
+        "SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI": "postgresql+psycopg2:///forget",
+        "SECRET_KEY": "hunter2"
+}
+
+app.config.update(default_config)
+
+app.config.from_pyfile('config.py', True)
 
 metadata = MetaData(naming_convention = {
     "ix": 'ix_%(column_0_label)s',
diff --git a/config.example.py b/config.example.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b68422a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.example.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""
+this is an example config file for Forget
+
+copy this file to config.py before editing
+"""
+
+"""
+DATABASE URI
+
+determines where to connect to the database
+see http://docs.sqlalchemy.org/en/latest/core/engines.html#database-urls for syntax
+only postgresql with psycopg2 driver is officially supported
+"""
+SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI='postgresql+psycopg2:///forget'
+
+"""
+SECRET KEY
+
+this key is used to encrypt session cookies
+you can generate a random key by running
+openssl rand -base64 102 | tr -d "\n"; echo
+or if you don't have openssl installed
+cat /dev/random | head -c 102 | base64 | tr -d "\n"; echo
+the latter might take a while if your system entropy is low, give it time
+"""
+SECRET_KEY='change me!'
+
+"""
+TWITTER CREDENTIALS
+
+get these at apps.twitter.com
+blah
+"""
+TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY='vdsvdsvds'
+TWITTER_CONSUMER_SECRET='hjklhjklhjkl'
+
+"""
+you can also use any config variable that flask expects here, such as
+"""
+# SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True
+# DEBUG=True
diff --git a/templates/index.html b/templates/index.html
index 70e148a..a2d1e00 100644
--- a/templates/index.html
+++ b/templates/index.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {% if session %}
-    Hello, {{session['display_name']}}! <a href="/logout">Log out</a>
-    <code>{{session['created_at']}}</code>
+<p>Hello, {{session['display_name']}}! <a href="/logout">Log out</a></p>
+<p><code>{{session}}</code></p>
 {% else %}
-    Hello, stranger! <a href="/login/twitter">Log in with Twitter</a>
+<p>Hello, stranger! <a href="/login/twitter">Log in with Twitter</a></p>
 {% endif %}