Configure environment variables

You can set environment variables in the creation form or on an existing container's Environment page. Values are hidden by default in the existing-container view.

For Production, Staging, or Development grouping, use General → Deployment environment instead. See Change an existing container's environment. Changing that selection does not modify a variable such as NODE_ENV.

Add or edit variablesCopy Anchor Link

1. Open the container and select Environment.
2. Choose Add environment variable to insert a new row, or click a hidden local value to reveal and edit it in place.
3. Enter the variable name and value. Choose Add environment variable again for each additional row; you can prepare several new variables before saving. Use the cancel control on a new row to discard only that draft. Names use uppercase letters, numbers, and underscores and cannot start with a number.
4. Keep Use the value literally enabled when the value must be preserved without variable interpolation. For an existing variable, open its row menu and choose Edit to change this setting.
5. Choose Save changes in the toolbar, then Restart the container to apply local-variable changes.

One new variable and several new variables use the same Save changes action. It sends all valid new rows, pending inline edits, and deletions in one save request. Resolve duplicate or invalid names in every new row before saving.

Empty and multiline values are supported directly in the value cell. A name can contain up to 255 characters and a value up to 65,536 characters. The Console supports up to 100 variables. Existing names cannot be renamed in place.

Use Reveal all values or Hide all values in the toolbar to change visibility together. Envault-managed values stay masked. Users with value-read permission can reveal and copy local values without editing them. Opening or refreshing the list does not fetch values into the browser; values are fetched only when you reveal them or open an existing value for editing. Hiding a value clears its displayed copy, and revealing it again fetches it again. Changed values have a blue border; save them before hiding. If a save request fails, all submitted drafts remain available for an explicit retry. Some changes may already have reached the container configuration; retrying the unchanged batch accepts identical created values and already-removed variables. If another edit conflicts with a new variable, refresh and review the current configuration before continuing. A single save request does not guarantee that every change is rolled back on failure.

Hover over a local value cell, or focus its controls with the keyboard, and choose Generate to create a random value. In the centered popup, choose the format, length and character options, review the preview, then select Use value. This changes the draft; Save changes is still required. New rows support the same generator.

Delete variablesCopy Anchor Link

Hover over a local value cell or focus its controls, then select Delete in the grouped toolbar beside Generate to mark it for deletion. The row stays visible with a red border and Pending deletion — save to apply. Mark as many local rows as needed, then choose Save changes in the toolbar. Undo deletion removes a mark and restores any unsaved edit on that row.

No variable is deleted until you save. Marked rows are deleted instead of updated. If saving stops partway through, all submitted deletion marks and edits remain available for retry, including items that may already have been applied. Envault-managed rows must be removed at their source. Restart after saving local changes to apply them.

Import a set of variablesCopy Anchor Link

On an existing container, open More actions in the toolbar and choose Developer mode · Import .env to paste KEY=value entries:

NODE_ENV=production
PORT=3000
LOG_LEVEL=info

Quoted values and comments are supported. Imported values are saved literally, without variable expansion. Duplicate names and names already present in the container must be resolved before importing; existing keys are not overwritten.

When importing into an existing container, all entries are sent in one save request. If the request fails, the editor retains the full input for retry; some entries may already have been applied. Restart after the saved changes are complete.

In the creation form, imported variables are added to the draft and applied before the initial deployment.

Verify the changeCopy Anchor Link

Confirm that the application behaves as expected after restarting. Check Runtime Log for missing-variable errors, but avoid printing secret values into logs. Changing an environment variable such as PORT does not automatically change domain routing; ensure that Domain & DNS targets the same application port.

Envault defaults and connectionsCopy Anchor Link

Workspace defaults from Envault are applied to Container Engine Application resources on creation, start and redeployment. Use Link Envault here to connect an application group and environment. Changing that connection requires Container Engine binding management permission on the Project and Envault secret access on the Workspace.

For keys other than inherited Shared keys, container-local variables override Application-local values, which override Workspace defaults. Use ${shared.group.environment.KEY} in Application Secrets or Workspace Defaults values to reference a shared secret. Changing a source or connection does not restart the container; redeploy to apply it. A plain restart does not refresh Envault values. Envault values are masked in this editor. Application-local and Workspace values can be replaced with local overrides; inherited Shared keys must be edited in their source environment.

Shared common environmentsCopy Anchor Link

An Application environment can connect several Shared Secrets environments, such as timebubble-common / develop and global-common / global. Their keys are included through the linked Application and are read-only there. Manage those values in Shared Secrets; they cannot be overridden by container-local variables. Workspace Defaults still apply automatically, including when no Application is linked. Redeploy to apply source or connection changes. See Envault.

Hover or focus a value row to show its grouped toolbar. Generate, Copy, Hide, Replace value and Delete appear together when available. Use Replace value to change literal-value handling. If you can manage variables but cannot read their values, this action opens an explicitly empty replacement form without loading the original. Entering a new value is required before saving; changing the literal setting alone does not replace an unread value.