Environment Variables

All variables go in .env.local for local development and in your hosting provider's dashboard for production.

Required Variables

Variable	Description	Example
NEXTAUTH_URL	Your app's base URL	http://localhost:3000
NEXTAUTH_SECRET	JWT encryption key — 15+ random chars	abc123xyz789random
MONGODB_URI	MongoDB Atlas connection string	mongodb+srv://user:pass@cluster.mongodb.net/db
GOOGLE_ID	Google OAuth Client ID	123456.apps.googleusercontent.com
GOOGLE_SECRET	Google OAuth Client Secret	GOCSPX-abc123
RESEND_API_KEY	Resend email API key	re_abc123
STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY	Stripe publishable key	pk_test_... or pk_live_...
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY	Stripe secret key	sk_test_... or sk_live_...
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET	Stripe webhook signing secret	whsec_...

Optional Variables

Variable	Description
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL	Upstash Redis URL for rate limiting
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN	Upstash Redis token for rate limiting
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key (if using AI features)

Local Setup

1. Rename .env.example to .env.local
2. Fill in each variable
3. Restart the dev server after changes: npm run dev

.env.local Template

# Auth
NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-random-15-char-secret

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/dbname

# Google OAuth
GOOGLE_ID=your-google-client-id
GOOGLE_SECRET=your-google-client-secret

# Email
RESEND_API_KEY=re_your_api_key

# Stripe
STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk_test_your_key
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_your_key
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_your_signing_secret

# Rate Limiting (optional)
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL=https://your-db.upstash.io
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN=your_token

Production Notes

• NEXTAUTH_URL must match your production domain exactly
• Use pk_live_ and sk_live_ Stripe keys in production (not test keys)
• .env.local is gitignored — set production variables in your hosting dashboard

See Also

• Deployment Guide
• Key Files Reference
• Google OAuth Setup
• Payments Setup