Using Environment Variables

Because environment variables are not captured in source code, they're not as easily shared across machines. To set up environment variables for your repository you will need to take advantage of a number of Turborepo features.

Working with Next.js and other libraries that load environment variables

If your framework automatically loads environment variables from a particular file, such as .env, you must indicate to turbo the location of these files. This shows a baseline configuration for Next.js and Vite, who load their environment files themselves:

{
  "$schema": "https://turbo.build/schema.json",
  "globalDotEnv": [".env"],
  "pipeline": {
    "build": {
      "dotEnv": [".env.production.local", ".env.local", ".env.production", ".env"]
    },
    "dev": {
      "dotEnv": [".env.development.local", ".env.local", ".env.development", ".env"]
    },
    "test": {
      "dotEnv": [".env.test.local", ".env.test", ".env"]
    }
  }
}

Loading Your Own Variables

If you need to load a large number of environment variables into your environment just prior to execution, we recommend using dotenv-cli. It's the simplest way to bring your environment variables into your development tasks.

With locally-installed turbo

1. Place all of your variables into the root of your monorepo in a .env file.

2. Install dotenv-cli into the root of your repository.

{
  "devDependencies": {
    "dotenv-cli": "latest"
  }
}

3. Adjust your scripts to inject the environment variables into the turbo command.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "dotenv -- turbo dev"
  }
}

4. Add the .env file to turbo.json:

{
  "globalDotEnv": [".env"],
  "pipeline": {
    "dev": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"]
    }
  }
}

With globally-installed turbo

If you're using turbo globally, you'll also need to install dotenv-cli globally so you can put dotenv -- in front of the turbo command in your terminal:

dotenv -- turbo dev

Advanced Configuration: Per-workspace Environment Variables

You may prefer to make your workspaces responsible for loading their own environment variables. This approach is more flexible and gives better results if you don't mind the extra configuration overhead in your package.json scripts.

To use this strategy:

1. Place your variables into .env file(s) in the root of the packages that they needed to be loaded in.

2. Install dotenv-cli in the workspace.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "dotenv -e .env.development -- start-server",
    "build": "dotenv -e .env -- bundle-app"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "dotenv-cli": "latest"
  }
}

3. Add the .env file(s) to turbo.json:

{
  "globalDotEnv": [".env"],
  "pipeline": {
    "dev": {
      "dotEnv": [".env.development"],
      "dependsOn": ["^build"]
    }
  }
}