dotenv-org/dotenv-vault

dotenv-vault is a cli to sync .env files across machines, environments, and team members.

🌱 Install

It works with a single command. Run npx dotenv-vault@latest push.

npx dotenv-vault@latest push

remote:   Securely pushing (.env)... done
remote:   Securely pushed development (.env)
remote:   Securely built vault (.env.vault)

That's it. You securely synced your .env file. Next, tell your teammate to run npx dotenv-vault@latest pull

npx dotenv-vault@latest pull

Nice!

See further usage and commands.

Other Ways to Install

Don't want to use npx? Install a number of other ways.

apple icon Install via Homebrew

$ brew install dotenv-org/brew/dotenv-vault
$ dotenv-vault help

windows icon Install on Windows

docker icon Install and run commands via Docker

$ docker run -w $(pwd) -v $(pwd):$(pwd) -it dotenv/dotenv-vault help

Learn more about installation

🏗️ Usage

When you make a change to your .env file, push it up.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push

Commit your .env.vault file safely to code.

$ git add .env.vault
$ git commit -am "Add .env.vault"
$ git push

Now your teammate can pull the latest .env changes.

$ git pull
$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull

That's it!

Learn more about usage

🚀 Deploying

Stop scattering your production secrets across multiple third-parties and tools. Instead, use an encrypted .env.vault file.

Generate your encrypted .env.vault file.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest build

Fetch your production DOTENV_KEY.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest keys production
remote:   Listing .env.vault decryption keys... done
dotenv://:key_1234…@dotenv.org/vault/.env.vault?environment=production

Set DOTENV_KEY on your server.

# heroku example
heroku config:set DOTENV_KEY=dotenv://:key_1234…@dotenv.org/vault/.env.vault?environment=production

Commit your .env.vault file safely to code and deploy.

$ git add .env.vault
$ git commit -am "Update .env.vault"
$ git push
$ git push heroku main # heroku example

That's it! On deploy, your .env.vault file will be decrypted and its secrets injected as environment variables – just in time.

Learn more about deploying

🌴 Manage Multiple Environments

After you've pushed your .env file, dotenv-vault automatically sets up multiple environments. Manage multiple environments with the included UI. learn more

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest open production

That's it! Manage your ci, staging, and production secrets from there.

Would you also like to pull your production .env to your machine? Run the command:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull production

ℹ️ 🔐 Vault Managed vs 💻 Locally Managed: The above example, for brevity's sake, used the 🔐 Vault Managed solution to manage your .env.vault file. You can instead use the 💻 Locally Managed solution. See the faq further below. Our vision is that other platforms and orchestration tools adopt the .env.vault standard as they did the .env standard. We don't expect to be the only ones providing tooling to manage and generate .env.vault files.

Learn more about environments

📚 Examples

Vercel	Heroku	GitHub Actions	GitLab CI/CD
Netlify	Docker	Docker Compose	CircleCI
Serverless	Railway	Render	Travis CI
Google Cloud	Fly.io	Slack	Buddy
Cloud66	Digital Ocean	Dagger	Bitbucket
Node.js	Express	NextJS
Remix	Astro	Rails	Ruby
Sinatra	Flask	Python	Supabase
Pulumi	Angular	Nuxt	Vite

See more integration guides

📖 Commands

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest help

new
login
logout
push
pull
open
whoami
build
keys
rotatekey
decrypt
versions
local

`new`

Create your project at Dotenv Vault.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest new

ARGUMENTS

[DOTENV_VAULT]

Set .env.vault identifier. Defaults to generated value.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest new vlt_6beaae5…
local:    Adding .env.vault (DOTENV_VAULT)... done
local:    Added to .env.vault (DOTENV_VAULT=vlt_6beaa...)

FLAGS

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

`login`

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest login

ARGUMENTS

[DOTENV_ME]

Set .env.me identifier. Defaults to generated value.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest login me_00c7fa…

FLAGS

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest login -y

`logout`

Log out of dotenv-vault.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest logout

FLAGS

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest logout -y

`push`

Push .env securely.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set environment to push to. Defaults to development

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push production

[FILENAME]

Set input filename. Defaults to .env for development and .env.{environment} for other environments

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push production .env.production

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push --dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest push -y

`pull`

Pull .env securely.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set environment to pull from. Defaults to development

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull production

[FILENAME]

Set output filename. Defaults to .env for development and .env.{environment} for other environments

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull production .env.production

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull --dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest pull -y

If you want to pull a specific version you can do so. For example,

npx dotenv-vault@latest pull development@v14

`open`

Open project page.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest open

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set environment to open to. Defaults to development.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest open production

FLAGS

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest open -y

`whoami`

Display the current logged in user.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest whoami

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest whoami dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

`build`

Build .env.vault file.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest build

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest build dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest build -y

`keys`

List .env.vault decryption keys.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest keys

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set environment. Defaults to all.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest keys production…
remote:   Listing .env.vault decryption keys... done
dotenv://:key_899..@dotenv.org/vault/.env.vault?environment=production

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest keys dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest keys -y

`rotatekey`

Rotate DOTENV_KEY.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest rotatekey production

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest rotatekey dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest rotatekey -y

`decrypt`

Decrypt .env.vault locally.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest decrypt dotenv://:key_1234@dotenv.org/vault/.env.vault?environment=development

ARGUMENTS

[DOTENV_KEY]

Set DOTENV_KEY to decrypt .env.vault. Development key will decrypt development, production will decrypt production, and so on.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest decrypt dotenv://:key_1234@dotenv.org/vault/.env.vault?environment=development

`versions`

List version history.

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest versions

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set environment to check versions against. Defaults to development.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest versions production

FLAGS

-m, --dotenvMe

Pass .env.me (DOTENV_ME) credential directly (rather than reading from .env.me file)

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest versions dotenvMe=me_b1831e…

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts. Assume yes to all prompts and run non-interactively.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest versions -y

If you want to pull a specific version you can do so. For example,

npx dotenv-vault@latest pull development@v14

`local build`

Build .env.vault from local only

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local build

This will encrypt the contents of your .env file and any .env.ENVIRONMENT files you have locally into your .env.vault file.

`local decrypt`

Decrypt .env.vault from local only

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local decrypt dotenv://:key_1234@dotenv.local/vault/.env.vault?environment=development

ARGUMENTS

[DOTENV_KEY]

Set DOTENV_KEY to decrypt .env.vault. Development key will decrypt development, production will decrypt production, and so on.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local decrypt dotenv://:key_1234@dotenv.local/vault/.env.vault?environment=development

`local keys`

List .env.vault local decryption keys from .env.keys file

Example:

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local keys
local:    Listing .env.vault decryption keys from .env.keys... done
 environment DOTENV_KEY
 ─────────── ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 develompent dotenv://:key_33ee..@dotenv.local/vault/.env.va…
 production  dotenv://:key_7038..@dotenv.local/vault/.env.va…

ARGUMENTS

[ENVIRONMENT]

Set ENVIRONMENT to output a single environment's DOTENV_KEY.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local keys development…
local:    Listing .env.vault decryption keys from .env.keys... done
dotenv://:key_a682c..@dotenv.local/vault/.env.vault?environment=development

❓ FAQ

Why is the `.env.vault` file not decrypting my environment variables successfully?

First, make sure you are using dotenv@16.1.0 or greater. (If you are using a different language make sure you have installed one of its libraries.)

Second, test decryption is working locally.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest decrypt dotenv://:key_1234..@dotenv.local/vault/.env.vault?environment=production
# outputs environment variables

Third, test decryption on boot is working locally.

$ DOTENV_KEY='dotenv://:key_1234..@dotenv.local/vault/.env.vault?environment=production' npm start
# boots your app with production envs

Should I commit my `.env.vault` file?

Yes. It is safe and recommended to do so. DO commit your .env.vault file to code. DO NOT commit your .env file. The .env.vault file contains ciphertext generated using AES-256. AES-256 is trusted by the US Government to transmit top-secret information and has a brute-force timescale of about a billion years.

I accidentally leaked my `DOTENV_KEY`, what can I do?

Does that attacker also have access to your .env.vault file?

No: good, the attacker cannot do any damage. They need both the DOTENV_KEY and .env.vault file to access your secrets. This extra layer of security sets the .env.vault file apart as a superior solution to other SecretOps solutions.
Yes: IMMEDIATELY start rotating your secrets at your third-party API providers. This scenario would be the same no matter what SecretOps solution you use.

After completing the above, rotate your DOTENV_KEY using the rotatekey command, rebuild your .env.vault file, and redeploy.

Is it safe to store my secrets with dotenv-vault?

It safer than scattering your secrets across multiple cloud providers. Those providers are focused on code deployment and server performance over secrets security.[1]

Dotenv Vault's singular focus is secrets security, and as a result we go to great lengths to make sure your secrets are safe. Afterall, we keep our secrets here too.[2]

What languages does this work with?

The .env.vault file and its encryption algorithm is language-agnostic so technically it works with any language. We've built convenience libraries for it in a handful of languages and are adding more quickly.

How do I use 💻 Locally Managed dotenv-vault?

There are a series of 💻 Locally Managed commands available to you. Locally managed never makes a remote API call. It is completely managed on your machine.

🔐 Vault Managed adds conveniences like backing up your .env file, secure sharing across your team, access permissions, and version history.

💻 Locally Managed is a good choice for someone who would prefer to handle this coordination themselves and does not want to trust Dotenv Vault with their secrets.

how to deploy with a .env.vault file video tutorial

Here's how it works.

Generate your .env.vault file.

$ npx dotenv-vault@latest local build

This creates two files:

.env.vault - encrypted contents of .env* file(s)
.env.keys - decryption key(s)

Boot using .env.vault.

$ DOTENV_KEY=<key string from .env.keys> npm start

[dotenv@16.1.0][INFO] Loading env from encrypted .env.vault

Great! Next, set the DOTENV_KEY on your server. For example in heroku:

$ heroku config:set DOTENV_KEY=<key string from .env.keys>

Commit your .env.vault file safely to code and deploy.

Your .env.vault is decrypted on boot, its environment variables injected, and your app works as expected.

Congratulations, your secrets are now much safer than scattered across multiple servers and cloud providers!

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md

License

MIT