Node.js: Defining your first environment variables

This documentation is part of the Handle secrets guide. View the full guide here: How to handle secrets with Node.js.

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You can define an environment variable by setting it at the start of your Node.js command, like this:

MY_PASSWORD=myDevelopmentPassword node app.js

This command creates a variable named MY_PASSWORD with the value myDevelopmentPassword. The format is straightforward: <KEY>=<value>.

By convention, environment variables are written in capital letters. It is worth noting that environment variables can only hold strings, not arrays or objects.