Import Environment Variables with the Qovery CLI

Bulk import environment variables and secrets from a .env file

This tutorial demonstrates how to bulk import environment variables and secrets from a .env file using the Qovery CLI, rather than adding them individually through the web interface.

Prerequisites

• A compliant dotenv (.env) file following RFC 2-dotenv specifications
• An existing application created in Qovery

Step 1: Install Qovery CLI

The installation command varies by platform:

Linux/Unix

curl -s https://get.qovery.com | bash

macOS

brew tap qovery/qovery-cli
brew install qovery-cli

Windows

scoop bucket add qovery https://github.com/Qovery/scoop-qovery-cli.git
scoop install qovery-cli

For additional installation methods, see the CLI documentation.

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Step 2: Authenticate and Set Context

Authenticate

qovery auth

This opens your browser for authentication.

Set Context

After authenticating, specify the target application:

qovery context set

Follow the prompts to select:

1. Your organization
2. Your project
3. Your environment
4. Your application

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Step 3: Prepare Your .env File

Create a .env file with your variables. For example, .env.development:

# Public variables
COLOR_BACKGROUND=#F0F0F0
API_URL=https://api.example.com

# Secret variables
STRAPI_API_KEY=sk_test_1234567890abcdef
AUTH0_API_KEY_SECRET=my_super_secret_key_123

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Step 4: Import Environment Variables

Import Public Variables

qovery env import .env.development

You’ll see an interactive prompt to select which variables to import:

? Select environment variables to import:
  ◯ COLOR_BACKGROUND
  ◯ API_URL
  ◯ STRAPI_API_KEY
  ◯ AUTH0_API_KEY_SECRET

Use:

• Arrow keys to navigate
• Space bar to select/deselect
• Enter to confirm

Select the public variables (COLOR_BACKGROUND and API_URL) and press Enter.

Public environment variables are visible in the Qovery Console and can be viewed by team members.

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Step 5: Import Secrets

For sensitive data, import as secrets:

qovery env import .env.development

When prompted, select “Secrets” instead of “Environment Variables”, then choose the secret variables:

? Select type:
  ◯ Environment Variables
  ◉ Secrets

Select the sensitive variables (STRAPI_API_KEY and AUTH0_API_KEY_SECRET) and press Enter.

Secrets are encrypted and cannot be viewed in plain text after import. They can only be updated or deleted.

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Step 6: Verify Import

Via Qovery Console

1. Navigate to your application in Qovery Console
2. Go to Variables tab
3. Verify both environment variables and secrets are present

Via CLI

# List environment variables
qovery env list

# List secrets (values will be hidden)
qovery secret list

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Advanced Usage

Import from Different Files

# Development environment
qovery env import .env.development

# Production environment
qovery env import .env.production

Override Existing Variables

Use the --force flag to override existing variables:

qovery env import .env.development --force

Import Specific Variables

You can also manually specify which variables to import by editing your .env file before importing.

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Best Practices

Never commit .env files to Git

Add .env* to your .gitignore file to prevent accidentally committing secrets:

# .gitignore
.env
.env.*

Use different files for different environments

Maintain separate .env files for each environment:

• .env.development
• .env.staging
• .env.production

Always use secrets for sensitive data

Mark these as secrets:

• API keys
• Database passwords
• OAuth client secrets
• Encryption keys
• Third-party service tokens

Document your environment variables

Create a .env.example file with placeholder values:

# .env.example
COLOR_BACKGROUND=<hex_color>
API_URL=<your_api_url>
STRAPI_API_KEY=<your_strapi_key>
AUTH0_API_KEY_SECRET=<your_auth0_secret>

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Troubleshooting

Import failed: invalid format

Ensure your .env file follows the RFC 2-dotenv specifications:

• One variable per line
• Format: KEY=value
• No spaces around the = sign
• Comments start with #

Variables not appearing in console

• Verify you imported to the correct application
• Check you ran qovery context set before importing
• Refresh the Qovery Console page

Cannot see secret values

This is expected behavior. Secrets are encrypted and cannot be viewed in plain text for security reasons.

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Related Documentation

Environment Variables

Learn about environment variables in Qovery

Qovery CLI

Complete CLI documentation

Secrets Management

Understanding secrets and encryption

Application Configuration

Configure your applications