Free .env File Generator — Laravel, Next.js, Node.js, Docker
A .env file stores environment-specific configuration — database credentials, API keys, app URLs — outside source code. This generator produces a ready-to-use .env template for the most common stacks with sensible placeholder values and grouped comments for every section.
developer
Generate a boilerplate .env file for Laravel, Next.js, Node.js, or Docker.
- Starter .env templates for Laravel, Next.js, Node.js, and Docker Compose
- Toggle variable groups independently: database, cache, mail, storage, auth, queue
- Sensible placeholder values and grouped comments for every section
- Copy to clipboard or download as .env.example in one click
- Covers NEXT_PUBLIC_* client variables, NextAuth keys, and DATABASE_URL for Next.js
- Client-side only — nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored
Everything you need in one .env File Generator
Laravel .env generator
Produces the standard Laravel keys — APP_KEY, DB_*, MAIL_*, QUEUE_CONNECTION — grouped and commented exactly as the framework expects.
Next.js env template
Generates NEXT_PUBLIC_* client variables, DATABASE_URL, and NextAuth keys, so you know which values belong in .env versus .env.local.
Node.js & Docker presets
Builds a dotenv file for an Express API or a Docker Compose stack — Postgres, Redis, and service ports — ready to drop next to your docker-compose.yml.
Safe placeholders by default
Every value is a placeholder, never a real secret, so the output is safe to commit as .env.example and share with your team without exposing credentials.
How to use .env File Generator
Select your stack
Choose from Laravel, Next.js, Node.js/Express, or Docker Compose.
Toggle sections
Enable or disable variable groups: Database, Cache, Mail, Storage, Auth, Queue.
Copy or download
Copy to clipboard or download as .env.example.
.env file naming conventions — which files to commit to Git
| File | Purpose | Commit to Git? |
|---|---|---|
| .env | Active configuration with real values | No |
| .env.example | Template with placeholder values for the team | Yes |
| .env.local | Machine-specific secret overrides (Next.js) | No |
| .env.development | Development-environment defaults | Usually yes |
| .env.production | Production-environment defaults (no secrets) | Usually yes |
How to fix common syntax errors
Most “invalid JSON” failures come from a small set of mistakes. Paste the failing JSON above, click Validate, and the tool points you at the exact line and column.
git add .envAdd .env to .gitignore before the first commit. If already committed, remove it with `git rm --cached .env`, add to .gitignore, and rotate every secret that was exposed — Git history is permanent.
DB_PASSWORD=actualpassword123Use obviously fake placeholders (your-db-password, change-me). The example file is committed to Git and visible to every repository collaborator and, for public repos, the entire internet.
API_URL=https://api.example.comIn Next.js, only variables prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ are exposed to the browser bundle. Without the prefix the variable is undefined on the client, even if set in .env.
import db from "./db"; require("dotenv").config();Call require("dotenv").config() or import "dotenv/config" at the very top of the entry file, before any other imports that read process.env.
DB_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host/db"Standard dotenv parsers treat quotes as part of the value in some implementations. Use unquoted values unless the value contains spaces. Quotes behaviour varies by library — check your dotenv version.
Sending .env via Slack/emailNever share the real .env file. Share .env.example with placeholders, then communicate real secrets through a secrets manager (1Password, Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) or encrypted channel.
Frequently asked questions
A .env file stores environment-specific configuration as `KEY=VALUE` pairs — database credentials, API keys, service URLs, and feature flags. It keeps secrets out of source code, version control, and deployment artifacts. Different environments (development, staging, production) use different .env files with different values for the same keys, making the application environment-portable without code changes.
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Further reading
Authority documentation and specifications behind this tool.
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