Configure Environment Variables for Sites

Published · Last updated: May 2026 · 3 min read

Who this is for

Users who need to set environment-specific configuration values for their site — such as API keys, database connection strings, feature flags, or third-party service credentials.

What Are Environment Variables?

Environment variables are key-value pairs stored on the server that are accessible to your web application at runtime, without being hardcoded in your source code. This keeps sensitive values (like API keys and passwords) out of your git repository.

How to Set Environment Variables

Open the site detail.
Go to the Environment tab (or Config tab depending on UI version).
Click + Add Variable.
Enter the key name (e.g., DATABASE_URL) and value.
Click Save.

CloudAIPilot stores the variable and writes it to the server's application environment (typically an .env file in the document root, or into the application's process environment).

Variable Naming Conventions

Keys are UPPERCASE_WITH_UNDERSCORES by convention (e.g., API_KEY, DATABASE_HOST).
Values can contain any characters, including URLs, passwords, and JSON strings.
Do not include export or = quotes unless your application explicitly requires them — CloudAIPilot handles quoting.

Common Variables by App Type

WordPress:

Variable	Example
`WP_DEBUG`	`false`
`WP_HOME`	`https://myblog.com`
`WP_SITEURL`	`https://myblog.com`

Node.js / Custom app:

Variable	Example
`NODE_ENV`	`production`
`DATABASE_URL`	`postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/mydb`
`PORT`	`3000`
`API_KEY`	`sk-…`

Reloading After Changes

After saving environment variable changes, the application may need to be reloaded to pick up the new values:

For PHP sites (WordPress), changes take effect on the next page request.
For Node.js or other process-based apps, restart the service from the Services tab.

Security Notes

Environment variables are transmitted over the encrypted SSH connection and stored on the server.
Values are not displayed in plain text after saving — they show as •••••• in the UI for sensitive keys.
Do not put database root passwords or SSH private keys in environment variables visible to all team members. Use the server-level secrets approach for highly sensitive values.

What Success Looks Like

The variable appears in the list. After reloading the application, it uses the new value. For example, WP_DEBUG set to false prevents WordPress from displaying errors on the public-facing page.

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue	Likely cause	Fix
Variable change not reflected in app	Application not reloaded	Restart the application service from the Services tab.
Variable shows wrong value in app	App is reading from a hardcoded `.env` file that overrides CloudAIPilot's values	Check your app's config loading order and ensure CloudAIPilot's env file is being read.
"Permission denied" when saving	SSH connectivity issue	Check SSH status from the server overview.