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    🎉 announcing dotenvx. run anywhere, multi-environment, encrypted envs.

     

    dotenv NPM version

    dotenv

    Dotenv is a zero-dependency module that loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env. Storing configuration in the environment separate from code is based on The Twelve-Factor App methodology.

    js-standard-style LICENSE codecov

    🌱 Install

    # install locally (recommended)
    npm install dotenv --save

    Or installing with yarn? yarn add dotenv

    🏗️ Usage

    how to use dotenv video tutorial youtube/@dotenvorg

    Create a .env file in the root of your project (if using a monorepo structure like apps/backend/app.js, put it in the root of the folder where your app.js process runs):

    S3_BUCKET="YOURS3BUCKET"
    SECRET_KEY="YOURSECRETKEYGOESHERE"

    As early as possible in your application, import and configure dotenv:

    require('dotenv').config()
    console.log(process.env) // remove this after you've confirmed it is working

    .. or using ES6?

    import 'dotenv/config'

    That's it. process.env now has the keys and values you defined in your .env file:

    require('dotenv').config()
    // or import 'dotenv/config' if you're using ES6
    
    ...
    
    s3.getBucketCors({Bucket: process.env.S3_BUCKET}, function(err, data) {})

    Multiline values

    If you need multiline variables, for example private keys, those are now supported (>= v15.0.0) with line breaks:

    PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
    ...
    Kh9NV...
    ...
    -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----"

    Alternatively, you can double quote strings and use the \n character:

    PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\nKh9NV...\n-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n"

    Comments

    Comments may be added to your file on their own line or inline:

    # This is a comment
    SECRET_KEY=YOURSECRETKEYGOESHERE # comment
    SECRET_HASH="something-with-a-#-hash"

    Comments begin where a # exists, so if your value contains a # please wrap it in quotes. This is a breaking change from >= v15.0.0 and on.

    Parsing

    The engine which parses the contents of your file containing environment variables is available to use. It accepts a String or Buffer and will return an Object with the parsed keys and values.

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const buf = Buffer.from('BASIC=basic')
    const config = dotenv.parse(buf) // will return an object
    console.log(typeof config, config) // object { BASIC : 'basic' }

    Preload

    Note: Consider using dotenvx instead of preloading. I am now doing (and recommending) so.

    It serves the same purpose (you do not need to require and load dotenv), adds better debugging, and works with ANY language, framework, or platform. – motdotla

    You can use the --require (-r) command line option to preload dotenv. By doing this, you do not need to require and load dotenv in your application code.

    $ node -r dotenv/config your_script.js

    The configuration options below are supported as command line arguments in the format dotenv_config_<option>=value

    $ node -r dotenv/config your_script.js dotenv_config_path=/custom/path/to/.env dotenv_config_debug=true

    Additionally, you can use environment variables to set configuration options. Command line arguments will precede these.

    $ DOTENV_CONFIG_<OPTION>=value node -r dotenv/config your_script.js
    $ DOTENV_CONFIG_ENCODING=latin1 DOTENV_CONFIG_DEBUG=true node -r dotenv/config your_script.js dotenv_config_path=/custom/path/to/.env

    Variable Expansion

    You need to add the value of another variable in one of your variables? Use dotenv-expand.

    Command Substitution

    Use dotenvx to use command substitution.

    Add the output of a command to one of your variables in your .env file.

    # .env
    DATABASE_URL="postgres://$(whoami)@localhost/my_database"
    // index.js
    console.log('DATABASE_URL', process.env.DATABASE_URL)
    $ dotenvx run --debug -- node index.js
    [dotenvx@0.14.1] injecting env (1) from .env
    DATABASE_URL postgres://yourusername@localhost/my_database

    Syncing

    You need to keep .env files in sync between machines, environments, or team members? Use dotenvx to encrypt your .env files and safely include them in source control. This still subscribes to the twelve-factor app rules by generating a decryption key separate from code.

    Multiple Environments

    Use dotenvx to generate .env.ci, .env.production files, and more.

    Deploying

    You need to deploy your secrets in a cloud-agnostic manner? Use dotenvx to generate a private decryption key that is set on your production server.

    🌴 Manage Multiple Environments

    Use dotenvx

    Run any environment locally. Create a .env.ENVIRONMENT file and use --env-file to load it. It's straightforward, yet flexible.

    $ echo "HELLO=production" > .env.production
    $ echo "console.log('Hello ' + process.env.HELLO)" > index.js
    
    $ dotenvx run --env-file=.env.production -- node index.js
    Hello production
    > ^^

    or with multiple .env files

    $ echo "HELLO=local" > .env.local
    $ echo "HELLO=World" > .env
    $ echo "console.log('Hello ' + process.env.HELLO)" > index.js
    
    $ dotenvx run --env-file=.env.local --env-file=.env -- node index.js
    Hello local

    more environment examples

    🚀 Deploying

    Use dotenvx.

    Add encryption to your .env files with a single command. Pass the --encrypt flag.

    $ dotenvx set HELLO Production --encrypt -f .env.production
    $ echo "console.log('Hello ' + process.env.HELLO)" > index.js
    
    $ DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION="<.env.production private key>" dotenvx run -- node index.js
    [dotenvx] injecting env (2) from .env.production
    Hello Production

    learn more

    📚 Examples

    See examples of using dotenv with various frameworks, languages, and configurations.

    📖 Documentation

    Dotenv exposes four functions:

    • config
    • parse
    • populate
    • decrypt

    Config

    config will read your .env file, parse the contents, assign it to process.env, and return an Object with a parsed key containing the loaded content or an error key if it failed.

    const result = dotenv.config()
    
    if (result.error) {
      throw result.error
    }
    
    console.log(result.parsed)

    You can additionally, pass options to config.

    Options

    path

    Default: path.resolve(process.cwd(), '.env')

    Specify a custom path if your file containing environment variables is located elsewhere.

    require('dotenv').config({ path: '/custom/path/to/.env' })

    By default, config will look for a file called .env in the current working directory.

    Pass in multiple files as an array, and they will be parsed in order and combined with process.env (or option.processEnv, if set). The first value set for a variable will win, unless the options.override flag is set, in which case the last value set will win. If a value already exists in process.env and the options.override flag is NOT set, no changes will be made to that value.

    require('dotenv').config({ path: ['.env.local', '.env'] })
    encoding

    Default: utf8

    Specify the encoding of your file containing environment variables.

    require('dotenv').config({ encoding: 'latin1' })
    debug

    Default: false

    Turn on logging to help debug why certain keys or values are not being set as you expect.

    require('dotenv').config({ debug: process.env.DEBUG })
    override

    Default: false

    Override any environment variables that have already been set on your machine with values from your .env file(s). If multiple files have been provided in option.path the override will also be used as each file is combined with the next. Without override being set, the first value wins. With override set the last value wins.

    require('dotenv').config({ override: true })
    processEnv

    Default: process.env

    Specify an object to write your secrets to. Defaults to process.env environment variables.

    const myObject = {}
    require('dotenv').config({ processEnv: myObject })
    
    console.log(myObject) // values from .env
    console.log(process.env) // this was not changed or written to

    Parse

    The engine which parses the contents of your file containing environment variables is available to use. It accepts a String or Buffer and will return an Object with the parsed keys and values.

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const buf = Buffer.from('BASIC=basic')
    const config = dotenv.parse(buf) // will return an object
    console.log(typeof config, config) // object { BASIC : 'basic' }

    Options

    debug

    Default: false

    Turn on logging to help debug why certain keys or values are not being set as you expect.

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const buf = Buffer.from('hello world')
    const opt = { debug: true }
    const config = dotenv.parse(buf, opt)
    // expect a debug message because the buffer is not in KEY=VAL form

    Populate

    The engine which populates the contents of your .env file to process.env is available for use. It accepts a target, a source, and options. This is useful for power users who want to supply their own objects.

    For example, customizing the source:

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const parsed = { HELLO: 'world' }
    
    dotenv.populate(process.env, parsed)
    
    console.log(process.env.HELLO) // world

    For example, customizing the source AND target:

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const parsed = { HELLO: 'universe' }
    const target = { HELLO: 'world' } // empty object
    
    dotenv.populate(target, parsed, { override: true, debug: true })
    
    console.log(target) // { HELLO: 'universe' }

    options

    Debug

    Default: false

    Turn on logging to help debug why certain keys or values are not being populated as you expect.

    override

    Default: false

    Override any environment variables that have already been set.

    ❓ FAQ

    Why is the .env file not loading my environment variables successfully?

    Most likely your .env file is not in the correct place. See this stack overflow.

    Turn on debug mode and try again..

    require('dotenv').config({ debug: true })

    You will receive a helpful error outputted to your console.

    Should I commit my .env file?

    No. We strongly recommend against committing your .env file to version control. It should only include environment-specific values such as database passwords or API keys. Your production database should have a different password than your development database.

    Should I have multiple .env files?

    We recommend creating one .env file per environment. Use .env for local/development, .env.production for production and so on. This still follows the twelve factor principles as each is attributed individually to its own environment. Avoid custom set ups that work in inheritance somehow (.env.production inherits values form .env for example). It is better to duplicate values if necessary across each .env.environment file.

    In a twelve-factor app, env vars are granular controls, each fully orthogonal to other env vars. They are never grouped together as “environments”, but instead are independently managed for each deploy. This is a model that scales up smoothly as the app naturally expands into more deploys over its lifetime.

    The Twelve-Factor App

    What rules does the parsing engine follow?

    The parsing engine currently supports the following rules:

    • BASIC=basic becomes {BASIC: 'basic'}
    • empty lines are skipped
    • lines beginning with # are treated as comments
    • # marks the beginning of a comment (unless when the value is wrapped in quotes)
    • empty values become empty strings (EMPTY= becomes {EMPTY: ''})
    • inner quotes are maintained (think JSON) (JSON={"foo": "bar"} becomes {JSON:"{\"foo\": \"bar\"}")
    • whitespace is removed from both ends of unquoted values (see more on trim) (FOO= some value becomes {FOO: 'some value'})
    • single and double quoted values are escaped (SINGLE_QUOTE='quoted' becomes {SINGLE_QUOTE: "quoted"})
    • single and double quoted values maintain whitespace from both ends (FOO=" some value " becomes {FOO: ' some value '})
    • double quoted values expand new lines (MULTILINE="new\nline" becomes
    {MULTILINE: 'new
    line'}
    • backticks are supported (BACKTICK_KEY=`This has 'single' and "double" quotes inside of it.`)

    What happens to environment variables that were already set?

    By default, we will never modify any environment variables that have already been set. In particular, if there is a variable in your .env file which collides with one that already exists in your environment, then that variable will be skipped.

    If instead, you want to override process.env use the override option.

    require('dotenv').config({ override: true })

    How come my environment variables are not showing up for React?

    Your React code is run in Webpack, where the fs module or even the process global itself are not accessible out-of-the-box. process.env can only be injected through Webpack configuration.

    If you are using react-scripts, which is distributed through create-react-app, it has dotenv built in but with a quirk. Preface your environment variables with REACT_APP_. See this stack overflow for more details.

    If you are using other frameworks (e.g. Next.js, Gatsby...), you need to consult their documentation for how to inject environment variables into the client.

    Can I customize/write plugins for dotenv?

    Yes! dotenv.config() returns an object representing the parsed .env file. This gives you everything you need to continue setting values on process.env. For example:

    const dotenv = require('dotenv')
    const variableExpansion = require('dotenv-expand')
    const myEnv = dotenv.config()
    variableExpansion(myEnv)

    How do I use dotenv with import?

    Simply..

    // index.mjs (ESM)
    import 'dotenv/config' // see https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv#how-do-i-use-dotenv-with-import
    import express from 'express'

    A little background..

    When you run a module containing an import declaration, the modules it imports are loaded first, then each module body is executed in a depth-first traversal of the dependency graph, avoiding cycles by skipping anything already executed.

    ES6 In Depth: Modules

    What does this mean in plain language? It means you would think the following would work but it won't.

    errorReporter.mjs:

    import { Client } from 'best-error-reporting-service'
    
    export default new Client(process.env.API_KEY)

    index.mjs:

    // Note: this is INCORRECT and will not work
    import * as dotenv from 'dotenv'
    dotenv.config()
    
    import errorReporter from './errorReporter.mjs'
    errorReporter.report(new Error('documented example'))

    process.env.API_KEY will be blank.

    Instead, index.mjs should be written as..

    import 'dotenv/config'
    
    import errorReporter from './errorReporter.mjs'
    errorReporter.report(new Error('documented example'))

    Does that make sense? It's a bit unintuitive, but it is how importing of ES6 modules work. Here is a working example of this pitfall.

    There are two alternatives to this approach:

    1. Preload dotenv: node --require dotenv/config index.js (Note: you do not need to import dotenv with this approach)
    2. Create a separate file that will execute config first as outlined in this comment on #133

    Why am I getting the error Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'crypto|os|path'?

    You are using dotenv on the front-end and have not included a polyfill. Webpack < 5 used to include these for you. Do the following:

    npm install node-polyfill-webpack-plugin

    Configure your webpack.config.js to something like the following.

    require('dotenv').config()
    
    const path = require('path');
    const webpack = require('webpack')
    
    const NodePolyfillPlugin = require('node-polyfill-webpack-plugin')
    
    module.exports = {
      mode: 'development',
      entry: './src/index.ts',
      output: {
        filename: 'bundle.js',
        path: path.resolve(__dirname, 'dist'),
      },
      plugins: [
        new NodePolyfillPlugin(),
        new webpack.DefinePlugin({
          'process.env': {
            HELLO: JSON.stringify(process.env.HELLO)
          }
        }),
      ]
    };

    Alternatively, just use dotenv-webpack which does this and more behind the scenes for you.

    What about variable expansion?

    Try dotenv-expand

    What about syncing and securing .env files?

    Use dotenvx

    What if I accidentally commit my .env file to code?

    Remove it, remove git history and then install the git pre-commit hook to prevent this from ever happening again.

    brew install dotenvx/brew/dotenvx
    dotenvx precommit --install

    How can I prevent committing my .env file to a Docker build?

    Use the docker prebuild hook.

    # Dockerfile
    ...
    RUN curl -fsS https://dotenvx.sh/ | sh
    ...
    RUN dotenvx prebuild
    CMD ["dotenvx", "run", "--", "node", "index.js"]

    Contributing Guide

    See CONTRIBUTING.md

    CHANGELOG

    See CHANGELOG.md

    Who's using dotenv?

    These npm modules depend on it.

    Projects that expand it often use the keyword "dotenv" on npm.