Understanding .env Files

What an .env file does#

An .env file stores configuration outside application source code. It often contains live credentials, so it must remain private. An .env.example file is safe to distribute only when every value is a placeholder.

Create the file#

1. Find .env.example in the extracted product files.
2. Copy it in the same directory and rename the copy to .env.
3. Replace each placeholder with the exact value documented for the product.
4. Keep one variable per line. Do not add quotes unless the product or hosting panel requires them.
5. Restart the bot after any environment-variable change.

cp .env.example .env

Hosting-panel variables#

Some managed hosts provide an Environment Variables or Startup Variables area instead of a physical .env file. Enter the variable name and value in separate fields. Do not upload a live .env to public file-sharing services or include it in screenshots.