How To Use Environment Variables With A CMS
BeginnerQuick Answer
TL;DR
Environment variables with a CMS store sensitive configuration like API keys, project IDs, and dataset names outside your codebase. Create .env files for local development, configure environment variables in your hosting platform for production, and access them in your code through process.env (Node.js) or framework-specific methods. Never commit API tokens to Git—use environment variables to keep credentials secure across development, staging, and production environments.
Key Takeaways
- Setting up .env files for local development
- Configuring environment variables in hosting platforms (Vercel, Netlify, etc.)
- Security best practices: .gitignore, read-only tokens, server-side only variables