Skip to main content

Environment variables

Your services receive configuration as environment variables, from two places: the env map in your manifest, and the Variables & Secrets you manage in the console.

In the manifest​

Set environment variables for a service with its env map. Keys and values are strings:

services:
  web:
    type: container
    image: ghcr.io/example/app:latest
    env:
      NODE_ENV: production
      LOG_LEVEL: info

Use the manifest for defaults and non-sensitive configuration: it lives in your repository, versioned with your code.

Variables & Secrets in the console​

For values that should stay out of your repository, open the app's Settings tab in the console and find Variables & Secrets. Click Add variable and choose the type:

  • Variable: a plain value, visible in the console.
  • Secret: encrypted at rest and write-only. Once saved, the value is never shown again, to anyone. See Security: secrets.

Both kinds are added to your services' environment on every deploy, and they take precedence over a value with the same name set in the manifest, so the manifest keeps the defaults and the console holds the real keys.

Reserved names​

Names beginning with APPHAVEN_ are reserved by the platform, and the console will not let you create a Variable or Secret with that prefix. AppHaven uses it to deliver managed values to your services, such as the credentials for a managed Postgres database.

Connection references​

env values can reference the connection details of a managed database in the same manifest, like ${service.db.url}. The references are resolved when your app starts, so credentials never appear in your repository. See Database: connection references.

To pass a literal ${ through to your app, escape it as $${.

Where to go next​