Environment Variables Management

Overview#

Environment variables are key-value pairs used to configure your application’s behavior without hardcoding values in your source code. Haddock provides a comprehensive interface to manage these variables directly from your project settings, including support for secret variables that protect sensitive information.

Accessing Environment Variables#

1. Navigate to your project’s details page
2. Click on the “Settings” tab
3. Click to expand the accordion and reveal the environment variables interface

Environment Variables Interface#

The environment variables management interface displays a table with the following columns:

• Key: The environment variable name
• Value: The variable value (masked for secret variables)
• Secret: Checkbox indicating if the variable is secret
• Actions: Save, Undo, and Delete buttons for each variable

Managing Environment Variables#

Adding New Variables#

To add a new environment variable:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the environment variables section
2. Fill in the Key field with your variable name
3. Enter the Value for your variable
4. Optional: Check the Secret checkbox if the variable contains sensitive information
5. Click the “Add” button to create the variable

Editing Existing Variables#

Non-Secret Variables#

For regular (non-secret) variables:

1. Locate the variable in the list
2. Modify the Key or Value directly in the table
3. Click the “Save” button to apply changes
4. Use “Undo” to revert unsaved changes

Secret Variables#

For secret variables:

1. The Value field will display masked characters (••••••)
2. You can still update the Key and Value, but the value remains hidden
3. Click “Save” to apply changes
4. The updated value will not be visible for security reasons

Converting Variables to Secret#

You can convert a regular variable to a secret variable:

1. Locate the non-secret variable
2. Check the Secret checkbox
3. Click “Save” to apply the change
4. The variable value will now be masked

Deleting Variables#

To remove an environment variable:

1. Locate the variable you want to delete
2. Click the “Delete” button (red button) in the Actions column
3. The variable will be removed immediately
4. A confirmation notification will appear in the bottom right corner

Secret Variables#

What Are Secret Variables?#

Secret variables are environment variables that contain sensitive information such as:

• API keys and tokens
• Database passwords
• Encryption keys
• OAuth secrets
• Third-party service credentials

Secret Variable Behavior#

When a variable is marked as secret:

• Hidden Values: The value is masked with dots (••••••) in the interface
• Edit Capability: You can still edit the key and update the value
• One-Way Protection: Cannot be converted back to non-secret
• Runtime Access: Still accessible to your application at runtime
• Security: Protected from accidental exposure in logs or interface

Best Practices#

Security Considerations#

Use Secret Variables For:

• Database connection strings
• API keys and authentication tokens
• Encryption keys
• OAuth client secrets
• Any sensitive configuration data

Avoid Secrets In Code:

• Never hardcode sensitive values in your source code
• Use environment variables for all configuration
• Mark sensitive variables as secret immediately

Organization Tips#

Naming Conventions:

• Use descriptive, uppercase names: DATABASE_URL, SMTP_PASSWORD
• Group related variables with prefixes: AWS_ACCESS_KEY, AWS_SECRET_KEY
• Be consistent across projects and environments

Documentation:

• Document the purpose of each variable
• Note which variables are required vs. optional
• Maintain a separate record of secret variable purposes

Development Workflow#

1. Add Variables: Create variables in the Haddock interface
2. Test Changes: Restart your project to test new configurations
3. Validate: Ensure your application correctly reads the variables
4. Document: Keep track of variable purposes and dependencies

Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

Variables Not Available in Application:

• Ensure you’ve restarted the project after making changes
• Check that variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
• Verify your application is reading from the correct environment

Secret Variables Not Working:

• Secret variables are accessible to your application even though hidden in the UI
• Check your application’s environment variable reading logic
• Ensure the variable name hasn’t changed during editing

Changes Not Persisting:

• Make sure to click “Save” after editing variables
• Don’t forget to restart the project for changes to take effect
• Check for any error notifications in the bottom right corner

Validation Tips#

• Test your application with different variable values
• Use non-secret variables during development and convert to secret for production
• Regularly review and clean up unused environment variables
• Monitor application logs for environment-related errors