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Environment Variables

How to configure and manage environment variables for your sites in Sproobo

Environment variables are key-value pairs that configure your application at runtime. Sproobo injects them into your app before startup on every deployment.

What are Environment Variables?

Environment variables let you:

  • Configure your app without changing code
  • Keep secrets like API keys and passwords out of your repository
  • Use different values for different sites or environments

Common Use Cases

  • Database connection strings
  • API keys and tokens
  • Feature flags
  • Service URLs
  • Environment name (production, staging, etc.)

Adding Environment Variables

  1. 1

    Open Site Settings

    In the dashboard, navigate to your site and open the "Environment" or "Settings" tab.
    Sproobo environment variables page
    Navigate to Environment Variables in your site settings.
  2. 2

    Add a Variable

    Click "Add variable" and enter:
    • Key: Variable name (e.g. DATABASE_URL)
    • Value: The value for this variable
    Sproobo add environment variable form
    Add a new environment variable with key and value.
  3. 3

    Save and Redeploy

    Save your changes. Environment variable updates take effect on the next deployment — trigger a redeploy to apply them immediately.
    ℹ️

    Changes to environment variables require a redeploy to take effect.

Bulk Import via .env File

You can import multiple variables at once by pasting or uploading a .env file:

env
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/dbname
API_KEY=your-api-key-here
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here

Security

How Sproobo Protects Your Secrets

  • Environment variable values are encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM
  • Values are never written to deployment logs
  • Variables are only decrypted in memory when injected into your app

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Variable not available: Trigger a redeploy after adding variables — they are not injected into a running process automatically
  • Wrong value: Check for typos in the variable name
  • Encoding issues: Ensure special characters in values are properly handled (quote the value if needed in your .env file)

Best Practices

Best Practices

  • Use descriptive, uppercase names (e.g. DATABASE_URL, not db)
  • Never commit secrets to version control
  • Rotate credentials regularly and update the variable when you do
  • Document what each variable does in your project README

Next Steps