dotenvx CLI

dotenvx is a secure dotenv — from the creator of dotenv. It provides encrypted environment variables, cross-platform run injection, and multi-environment support.

Key capabilities:

• dotenvx run — inject env vars into any command, any language
• dotenvx encrypt — encrypt .env files with public-key cryptography (secp256k1)
• dotenvx set / get — manage individual env vars
• dotenvx decrypt — decrypt .env files back to plaintext
• Multi-environment support via -f flag and DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_* convention

Installation

# npm (local to project)
npm install @dotenvx/dotenvx --save

# global installs
curl -sfS https://dotenvx.sh | sh       # curl
brew install dotenvx/brew/dotenvx        # brew
winget install dotenvx                   # windows
docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/app dotenv/dotenvx help  # docker

For Node.js, also usable as a library:

require('@dotenvx/dotenvx').config()
// or: import '@dotenvx/dotenvx/config'

Core Commands

dotenvx run

Inject environment variables from .env files into any process. This is the primary command.

dotenvx run -- <command>

Flags:

Examples:

# Basic usage
dotenvx run -- node index.js

# Specific env file
dotenvx run -f .env.production -- node index.js

# Multiple env files (first file's values win by default)
dotenvx run -f .env.local -f .env -- node index.js

# Override: last file wins
dotenvx run -f .env.local -f .env --overload -- node index.js

# Inline env var (overrides file values)
dotenvx run --env HELLO=String -f .env -- node index.js

# Any language works
dotenvx run -- python3 app.py
dotenvx run -- ruby index.rb
dotenvx run -- go run main.go
dotenvx run -- cargo run
dotenvx run -- php artisan serve
dotenvx run -- next dev

# Shell expansion (use subshell to prevent premature expansion)
dotenvx run --env="HELLO=World" -- sh -c 'echo Hello $HELLO'

# Strict mode for CI
dotenvx run -f .env.ci --strict -- node build.js

Precedence rules:

• By default, env vars already set in the shell take precedence over .env file values
• With multiple -f files, the first file's value wins (historic dotenv behavior)
• --overload reverses this: later files override earlier ones
• --env flag values take precedence over file values

Variable expansion and interpolation:

dotenvx supports ${VAR} expansion, default values, alternate values, and command substitution inside .env files:

# Variable expansion
USERNAME="admin"
DATABASE_URL="postgres://${USERNAME}@localhost/mydb"

# Default values (use fallback if unset/empty)
DB_HOST=${DB_HOST:-localhost}
DB_PORT=${DB_PORT:-5432}

# Alternate values (use alternate if variable IS set)
DEBUG_MODE=${NODE_ENV:+false}

# Command substitution
WHOAMI="$(whoami)"

Multiline values are supported — wrap in double quotes:

CERT="-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIB...
-----END CERTIFICATE-----"

Important: What dotenvx Does NOT Have

Do NOT hallucinate these — they do not exist:

• ❌ dotenvx keys — use dotenvx keypair instead
• ❌ dotenvx status — no such command
• ❌ dotenvx rotate — to rotate, use dotenvx set to update values, or decrypt → delete .env.keys → re-encrypt
• ❌ --env-name flag — does not exist
• ❌ .env.vault files — dotenvx encrypts in place, not to a separate vault file
• ❌ DOTENVX_PRIVATE_KEY — the correct env var is DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY (no X in the middle)
• ❌ pip install dotenvx — there is no Python package; dotenvx is a CLI tool that wraps any language
• ❌ dotenvx.load_dotenv() — no Python API; use dotenvx run -- python app.py at the CLI level

dotenvx encrypt

Encrypt .env file(s) in place. Generates a DOTENV_PUBLIC_KEY (added to the .env file) and a DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY (saved to .env.keys).

dotenvx encrypt                     # encrypts .env
dotenvx encrypt -f .env.production  # encrypts specific file
dotenvx encrypt --stdout            # output to stdout instead of in-place

After encryption:

• .env contains encrypted values + DOTENV_PUBLIC_KEY
• .env.keys contains DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY (keep this secret, never commit it)
• The encrypted .env is safe to commit to version control

dotenvx decrypt

Decrypt an encrypted .env file back to plaintext.

dotenvx decrypt                     # decrypts .env
dotenvx decrypt -f .env.production  # decrypts specific file
dotenvx decrypt --stdout            # output to stdout

Requires the private key to be available (via .env.keys file or DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY* env var).

dotenvx set

Set an individual environment variable in a .env file. Creates the file if it doesn't exist. If the file is encrypted, re-encrypts automatically.

dotenvx set KEY value                       # set in .env
dotenvx set KEY value -f .env.production    # set in specific file
dotenvx set KEY "multi word value"          # quoted values
dotenvx set KEY value -fk .env.keys -f apps/app1/.env  # monorepo

dotenvx get

Retrieve a single environment variable's value.

dotenvx get HELLO                          # from .env
dotenvx get HELLO -f .env.production       # from specific file
dotenvx get HELLO --env HELLO=Override     # from --env string
dotenvx get HELLO --overload               # with overload semantics
dotenvx get HELLO --strict                 # exit 1 if key missing
dotenvx get HELLO --convention=nextjs      # with convention
dotenvx get HELLO -fk .env.keys -f app/.env  # monorepo

Get all as JSON:

dotenvx get                    # all vars from .env as JSON
dotenvx get -f .env.production # all vars from specific file
dotenvx get --all              # include DOTENV_PUBLIC_KEY
dotenvx get --format shell     # output as KEY=value lines

dotenvx keypair

Output the public/private keypair for an encrypted .env file.

dotenvx keypair                              # all keypairs as JSON
dotenvx keypair DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY           # just the private key
dotenvx keypair -f .env.production           # for specific file
dotenvx keypair DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION -f .env.production

Encryption Workflow

Initial Setup

# 1. Create your .env
echo "DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/mydb" > .env
echo "API_KEY=sk-secret123" >> .env

# 2. Encrypt it
dotenvx encrypt
# ✔ encrypted (.env)
# Creates .env.keys with your private key

# 3. Commit .env (encrypted, safe), do NOT commit .env.keys
echo ".env.keys" >> .gitignore
git add .env .gitignore
git commit -m "add encrypted env"

Multi-Environment Encryption

Each environment gets its own keypair. The naming convention is automatic:

# Encrypt each environment
dotenvx encrypt -f .env.production
dotenvx encrypt -f .env.staging
dotenvx encrypt -f .env.ci

# Each creates a corresponding private key in .env.keys:
# DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION="..."
# DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_STAGING="..."
# DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_CI="..."

Runtime Decryption

Set the appropriate DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_* env var, and dotenvx run decrypts automatically:

# The private key suffix matches the file suffix
DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY="key"                  dotenvx run -- node app.js          # decrypts .env
DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION="key"       dotenvx run -- node app.js          # decrypts .env.production
DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_CI="key"               dotenvx run -- node app.js          # decrypts .env.ci

# Combine multiple
DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY="k1" DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION="k2" dotenvx run -- node app.js

# Comma-separated keys for monorepos (same environment, different apps)
DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_CI="key1,key2" dotenvx run -f app1/.env.ci -f app2/.env.ci -- node app.js

CI/CD Integration

# GitHub Actions example
name: deploy
on: [push]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - run: curl -fsS https://dotenvx.sh/install.sh | sh
      - run: dotenvx run -- node build.js
        env:
          DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION: ${{ secrets.DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_PRODUCTION }}

Conventions

--convention=nextjs

Loads files in Next.js priority order:

1. .env.$(NODE_ENV).local
2. .env.local
3. .env.$(NODE_ENV)
4. .env

dotenvx run --convention=nextjs -- next dev

--convention=flow

Loads files in dotenv-flow priority order. Uses DOTENV_ENV or NODE_ENV:

DOTENV_ENV=development dotenvx run --convention=flow -- node app.js

Monorepo Support

Use -fk to specify a shared .env.keys path:

# Set values for different apps
dotenvx set HELLO app1 -fk .env.keys -f apps/app1/.env
dotenvx set HELLO app2 -fk .env.keys -f apps/app2/.env

# Run with shared keys
dotenvx run -fk .env.keys -f apps/app1/.env -- node apps/app1/index.js

# Get values
dotenvx get HELLO -fk .env.keys -f apps/app1/.env

Docker

FROM node:latest
RUN curl -fsS https://dotenvx.sh/install.sh | sh
COPY . .
CMD ["dotenvx", "run", "--", "node", "index.js"]

Or run directly:

docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/app dotenv/dotenvx run -- node index.js

Common Patterns

Add a new secret to an encrypted file:

dotenvx set NEW_SECRET "value" -f .env.production
# Automatically re-encrypts

Rotate a value:

dotenvx set API_KEY "new-key-value" -f .env.production

View decrypted values without running a command:

dotenvx get -f .env.production           # needs private key available
dotenvx get API_KEY -f .env.production   # single value

Convert existing plaintext .env to encrypted:

dotenvx encrypt -f .env.production
# Done. Commit the encrypted .env.production, store .env.keys privately.

Suppress dotenvx output in scripts:

dotenvx run --quiet -- ./my-script.sh

Fail CI on missing/broken env:

dotenvx run -f .env.ci --strict -- npm test

Gitignore Recommendations

# Never commit private keys
.env.keys

# Encrypted .env files ARE safe to commit
# !.env
# !.env.production
# !.env.staging

Troubleshooting

• MISSING_ENV_FILE — the specified .env file doesn't exist. Create it or use --ignore=MISSING_ENV_FILE.
• MISSING_KEY — the requested key isn't in the .env file.
• Decryption fails — ensure the correct DOTENV_PRIVATE_KEY_* is set. The suffix must match the file suffix (e.g., _PRODUCTION for .env.production).
• Deno + encrypt — don't use deno run npm:@dotenvx/dotenvx encrypt. Deno has incomplete cipher support. Install dotenvx as a binary instead.
• Shell expanding $VARS prematurely — use a subshell: dotenvx run -- sh -c 'echo $MY_VAR'

Extension Commands (dotenvx ext)

Utility commands for managing dotenvx workflows:

dotenvx ext genexample                  # generate .env.example from .env
dotenvx ext genexample -f .env.production  # from specific file
dotenvx ext gitignore                   # append .env.keys to .gitignore
dotenvx ext ls                          # list all .env files in project
dotenvx ext ls -f .env.production       # check specific file
dotenvx ext settings                    # view current dotenvx settings