Environments

Manage environment-specific configurations for local, staging, production, and more.

How It Works

Environments let you define different sets of configuration values for the same project. Instead of editing .env files by hand every time you switch contexts, just select the environment you want and Nodev handles the rest.

Multiple Environments: Create as many environments as you need—local, staging, production, testing, or anything else.

Environment Variables: Each environment stores its own set of key-value pairs like API endpoints, feature flags, or configuration options.

Quick Switching: Select your environment from the dropdown when starting your server. That's it.

Secure Storage: Environments are stored outside your codebase in Nodev's global storage. AI coding agents can't access them—your API keys and secrets stay safe.

Security First: Because environments are stored outside your project folder, they're never committed to git or accessed by AI tools. Your sensitive configuration stays private.

Creating Environments

Set up environments for your project in a few simple steps:

Open your project in Nodev and click the Settings button on the project card
Go to the Environments tab
Click Add Environment and give it a name (like "staging" or "production")
Add your environment variables one by one, or paste them all at once
Click Save Changes when you're done

Set one environment as your default to skip the dropdown entirely. The default environment is automatically selected when you start your server.

Starting with Environments

When you're ready to start your server with a specific environment:

Using the Dropdown: Click the dropdown icon next to the Start button on your project card. Select the environment you want to use, then click Start.

Using the Default: If you set a default environment, just click Start directly. Nodev uses your default automatically.

Changing Mid-Session: Stop your server, select a different environment, and start again. Your new configuration is applied instantly.

Environment variables are written to a hidden .nodev folder in your project. Your existing .env files are never modified.

Importing Variables

Don't want to type everything by hand? Import your existing environment variables:

1. Copy the contents of your existing .env file

2. Paste the content into the text area in the environment settings panel

3. Parse - Nodev automatically extracts all the KEY=value pairs

4. Save your changes when done

The import feature ignores comments (lines starting with #) and handles quoted values automatically. Just paste and go.

Troubleshooting

Variables Not Loading

Make sure you've saved your environment changes after adding or editing variables. Restart your server after saving to apply the new configuration.

Can't Find Environments Feature

Look for the Settings button on your project card, then click the Environments tab. The dropdown icon next to the Start button also lets you select environments.

Import Not Working

Check that your format is correct: each line should be KEY=value. Remove quotes from values if the import isn't parsing them correctly.

Wrong Environment Selected

Stop your server, select the correct environment from the dropdown, and start again. Set a default environment to avoid this in the future.