Environment Variables

Configure your ProStack application with environment variables

ProStack uses environment variables for configuration. This guide explains all available variables and their purposes.

Environment Files

ProStack supports multiple environment files:

• .env: Main environment file for local development
• .env.docker: Environment variables for Docker deployment
• .env.production: Production-specific variables (used during build)

Required Environment Variables

These variables are required for the application to function properly:

Variable	Description	Example
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL	Base URL of your application	http://localhost:3000
DATABASE_URL	PostgreSQL connection string	postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/prostack
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET	Secret key for authentication	Generate with openssl rand -hex 32

Authentication Variables

Variables for configuring the authentication system:

Variable	Description	Required	Example
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET	Authentication encryption key	Yes	1234... (32-byte hex)
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID	Google OAuth client ID	For Google auth	123456789-abcdefg.apps.googleusercontent.com
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET	Google OAuth client secret	For Google auth	GOCSPX-abcdefghijklmnop
RESEND_API_KEY	API key for Resend email service	For email functionality	re_123456789
RESEND_EMAILS_DOMAIN	Domain for sending emails	For email functionality	mail.yourdomain.com

AI Chat Variables

Variables for configuring the AI chat feature:

Variable	Description	Required	Example
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key	For chat functionality	sk-123456789
GOOGLE_SE_API_KEY	Google Search API key	For web search tool	AIzaSyABC123
GOOGLE_CSE_ID	Google Custom Search Engine ID	For web search tool	123456:abcdef

Storage Variables

Variables for configuring file storage:

Variable	Description	Required	Example
BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN	Vercel Blob storage token	For file uploads	vercel_blob_rw_123456789

Site Verification and Social Links

Variables for site verification and social links:

Variable	Description	Required	Example
GOOGLE_SITE_VERIFICATION_ID	Google Search Console verification	No	google1234567890
DISCORD_SITE_INVITATION_LINK	Discord community invitation link	No	https://discord.gg/8yPw7vHj9E

Setting Environment Variables

Local Development

For local development, copy the .env.example file and update the values:

cp .env.example .env

Then update the variables in the .env file with your values.

Docker Deployment

For Docker deployment, use the .env.docker file:

cp .env.docker.example .env.docker

Update the Docker-specific variables like database host.

Production Deployment

For production environments, set environment variables according to your hosting platform:

• Vercel: Set variables in the Vercel dashboard under “Project Settings > Environment Variables”
• AWS: Use AWS Parameter Store or Secrets Manager
• Docker: Use environment variables in your Docker Compose file or Kubernetes secrets
• PM2: Use environment variables in your PM2 configuration

Securing Environment Variables

Keep your environment variables secure:

1. Never commit .env files to your repository
2. Use different values for development and production
3. Regularly rotate sensitive credentials like API keys
4. Use secret management tools in production environments

Next Steps

Security

Learn about security best practices

Docker Deployment

Deploy your application with Docker