When run with NODE_ENV=development node app.js , the development variables are automatically merged with the global defaults.
. The terminal bloomed with green text. Echo was alive, pulling the "draft" status variables from the development file to show him unpublished stories. On his screen, a digital narrator began to spin a tale about a lost robot.
) and commit that to Git so other developers know which variables they need to set up. Precedence : In most modern tooling (like Vite or Next.js), .env.development values will be overridden by .env.development.local if both exist. Are you setting this up for a specific Adding Custom Environment Variables - Create React App .env.development
: Add .env.development to your .gitignore file immediately. You don't want your personal local paths or database passwords in the repository.
This is a controversial point. You should commit .env.production (it contains secrets). However, .env.development should be committed to your repository because it contains no real secrets—only local URLs, mock keys, and safe defaults. Committing it ensures all developers on your team have the same baseline configuration. When run with NODE_ENV=development node app
REACT_APP_API_URL=https://api.myapp.com REACT_APP_DEBUG=false REACT_APP_APP_NAME=MyApp
// ❌ NEVER expose API keys on the client const stripeKey = process.env.REACT_APP_STRIPE_KEY; Echo was alive, pulling the "draft" status variables
Frameworks like React, Next.js, and Node.js can be configured to automatically load .env.development when running a "dev" script, and switch to .env.production during the build process. How to Implement .env.development 1. Structure of the File