Importing Variables

When you're migrating an existing project to EnvManager or setting up a new environment from configuration files, manually adding each variable one by one can be tedious and error-prone. The Import feature lets you bring in multiple variables at once from your existing configuration files.

Why Use Import?

The Import feature is useful when you:

Migrate existing projects — Move your current .env files into EnvManager without re-typing everything
Set up new environments — Quickly populate a staging or production environment based on an existing configuration
Restore from backups — Re-import variables from exported configuration files
Share configurations — Import variables that a team member has shared with you

Supported File Formats

EnvManager can import variables from several common configuration file formats:

Format	File Extensions	Description
.env	`.env`, `.env.local`, `.env.example`	Standard dotenv format used by most frameworks
JSON	`.json`	Key-value JSON objects

Before You Begin

To import variables, you need access to a project and environment. If you haven't created a project yet, see Complete Onboarding.

Make sure you have your configuration file ready. The file should contain valid key-value pairs in one of the supported formats.

How to Import Variables

Open the Import Dialog

Navigate to your project and select the environment where you want to import variables. Click the Import button in the toolbar above your variables list.

Upload Your Configuration

The Import Variables dialog with a drag-and-drop zone and a text area for pasting content

The import dialog supports drag-and-drop file upload or pasting content directly.

Drag your .env or .json file directly onto the drop zone. You can also click the drop zone to open a file browser and select your file.

Alternatively, paste configuration content directly into the text area if you don't have a file.

Review the Preview

The import preview showing parsed variables with their keys, values, status, and automatic secret detection

The import preview shows all parsed variables. Variables with sensitive names like API_SECRET_KEY and AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID are automatically marked as secrets.

EnvManager shows you a preview of all variables that will be imported. The preview displays:

Key — The variable name
Value — A preview of the value
Status — Whether this is a new variable or one that already exists
Secret — Whether this variable will be stored as an encrypted secret

The summary shows how many variables are new, how many already exist, and how many are marked as secrets.

Adjust Secret Detection

EnvManager automatically detects variables that likely contain sensitive information based on their names. Variables with keys containing SECRET, KEY, TOKEN, PASSWORD, PRIVATE, AUTH, or CREDENTIAL are automatically marked as secrets.

You can check or uncheck the Secret checkbox for any variable in the preview.

Handle Conflicts

If any variables already exist in the environment, choose how to handle them:

Skip existing (default) — Only import new variables
Overwrite all — Replace existing variables with imported values

Complete the Import

Click Import X Variables to finish. EnvManager will add the variables, encrypt any marked as secrets, and log the import.

Understanding the Preview

Status	Color	Meaning
New	Green	This variable doesn't exist yet and will be added
Exists	Yellow	This variable already exists in the environment

Tips for Successful Imports

Review before importing — Always check the preview, especially the secret detection. It's easier to mark a variable as secret during import than to change it later.

Clean up your source file first — Remove commented-out or unused variables before importing
Use consistent naming — Standardize naming conventions before import
Import to development first — When migrating, import to development first, verify, then import to staging and production
Check for duplicates — The conflict detection helps avoid accidentally overwriting values

Common File Format Examples

.env Format

DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb
API_KEY=sk-1234567890abcdef
DEBUG=true
APP_NAME=My Application

JSON Format

{
  "DATABASE_URL": "postgres://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb",
  "API_KEY": "sk-1234567890abcdef",
  "DEBUG": "true",
  "APP_NAME": "My Application"
}