.env File Generator
Generate .env environment variable files for Node.js, Python, Docker, and 12-factor apps — with templates for common stacks.
Variable NameValue
About .env Files
A .env file stores environment-specific configuration as key-value pairs. Following the 12-factor app methodology, configuration should be separated from code and stored in environment variables — never hardcoded. This allows the same codebase to run in development, staging, and production with different settings.
Critical rules for .env files: always add .env to .gitignore, never commit real secrets to version control, provide a .env.example file with dummy values as documentation, and use a secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager, Vault, Doppler) for production secrets rather than .env files on servers.
FAQ
Should I commit .env files to Git?
Never commit .env files with real values. Always add .env to .gitignore. Instead, commit a .env.example with all variable names but empty or fake values — this documents what variables are needed without exposing secrets. Use a tool like dotenv-vault or Doppler for team secret sharing.
How do I load .env in different languages?
Node.js: npm install dotenv, then require('dotenv').config(). Python: pip install python-dotenv, from dotenv import load_dotenv; load_dotenv(). PHP/Laravel: automatically loaded. Docker Compose: env_file: .env in service definition. Go: github.com/joho/godotenv.