# How to read environment variables in Node.js?

Source: https://tpiros.dev/blog/how-to-read-environment-variables-in-node-js

Sometimes you need Node.js to behave differently depending on where it's running. A classic case: more verbose debugging in development, less noise in production. That kind of information typically lives in environment variables.

Providers like [DigitalOcean](https://www.digitalocean.com) hand you API keys, usernames, and passwords through environment variables. Secrets used for hashing (say for [JWT](https://jwt.io) tokens) should live there too.

To read an environment variable, grab it from the `process.env` object. The properties on that object mirror your environment variables.

You can see what's available by creating a tiny script:

```javascript
console.log(process.env);
```

Run that and it'll dump every environment variable Node.js can see.

On \*nix systems, you can create a new variable and access it like this:

(You can do the same on Windows, obviously.)

```
$ export SECRET='h3ll0'
```

Then grab it in code:

```javascript
console.log(process.env.SECRET); // h3ll0
```

You're not limited to logging these values out. Use them wherever you need them in your application.