> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.daki.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment Variables

> How to configure environment variables for your application on Daki Hosting using a .env file.

Environment variables let you pass configuration values — like a Discord bot token or an API key — to your application without hardcoding them in your source code. On Daki Hosting, the recommended approach is to create a **`.env` file** directly on your server using the <Tooltip tip="Daki's Pterodactyl-based server-management panel (portal.daki.cc).">Portal</Tooltip>'s file manager or <Tooltip tip="Secure File Transfer Protocol — upload/download files with no size limits.">SFTP</Tooltip>.

## What you'll learn

* What environment variables are and why they matter
* How to create a `.env` file on your server
* How to load `.env` values in Node.js and Python
* Best practices for keeping secrets safe

***

## What Are Environment Variables?

Environment variables are key-value pairs that your running application can read from its environment. They are the standard way to:

* Store sensitive values (tokens, API keys, passwords) separately from code
* Change configuration without modifying or redeploying source files
* Avoid committing secrets to version control

***

## Creating a `.env` File

The simplest and most reliable way to manage environment variables on Daki is to create a `.env` file on your server. You can do this in two ways:

### Option 1: Using the File Manager (quick edits)

1. Open your server in the Portal ([portal.daki.cc](https://portal.daki.cc)).
2. Go to the **Files** tab.
3. Click **New File** and name it `.env`.
4. Click the file to open it in the web editor and add your variables:
   ```
   BOT_TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token_here
   PORT=3000
   DATABASE_URL=your_db_connection_string
   ```
5. Click **Save**.
6. Restart your server.

### Option 2: Using SFTP (recommended for initial setup)

Connect to your server via SFTP (credentials in the **Settings** tab) and upload your `.env` file directly from your local machine. See [File Manager](./file-manager) for SFTP setup instructions.

<Warning>
  Never commit your `.env` file to a public Git repository. Add `.env` to your `.gitignore` file to prevent accidental exposure of secrets.
</Warning>

***

## Loading `.env` Values in Your Application

Applications do not automatically read `.env` files — you need a library to load them into the environment.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Node.js (dotenv)">
    Install the package (add it to your `package.json` as a dependency):

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "dependencies": {
        "dotenv": "^16.0.0"
      }
    }
    ```

    Load it at the very top of your entry file:

    ```js theme={null}
    require('dotenv').config();

    const token = process.env.BOT_TOKEN;
    const port  = process.env.PORT || 3000;
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python (python-dotenv)">
    Add `python-dotenv` to your `requirements.txt`:

    ```
    python-dotenv
    ```

    Load it at the top of your entry file:

    ```python theme={null}
    from dotenv import load_dotenv
    import os

    load_dotenv()

    token = os.environ.get("BOT_TOKEN")
    port  = int(os.environ.get("PORT", 3000))
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## `.env` File Format

Each line in a `.env` file follows the format `KEY=VALUE`:

```
# Comments start with a hash
BOT_TOKEN=your_token_here
API_KEY=some_api_key
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DEBUG=false
```

* Keys are typically uppercase with underscores.
* Values do not need quotes, but quotes are supported.
* Lines starting with `#` are comments and are ignored.

***

## Best Practices

* **Never hardcode tokens or secrets** in your source code files, especially if your code is on GitHub.
* **Add `.env` to your `.gitignore`** so it is never accidentally committed.
* **Create your `.env` file on the server**, not locally — or use SFTP to upload a local `.env` that is excluded from version control.
* **Restart your server** after creating or modifying your `.env` file.
* Use **descriptive key names** that make your configuration self-documenting.

***

## Next Steps

* [Startup Settings](./startup-settings) — Configure your install command, startup command, and <Tooltip tip="The specific runtime version your server's container runs (e.g. Node.js 22).">Docker image</Tooltip>.
* [Deploy a Discord.js Bot](./deploy-discordjs) — Full deployment walkthrough including token setup.
* [Deploy a Python Bot](./deploy-python) — Full deployment walkthrough including token setup.