Using Environment Variables with Vue.js

Vue.js with Webpack

If you use vue cli with the Webpack template (default config), you can create and add your environment variables to a .env file.

The variables will automatically be accessible under process.env.variableName in your project. Loaded variables are also available to all vue-cli-service commands, plugins and dependencies.

You have a few options, this is from the Environment Variables and Modes documentation:

.env                # loaded in all cases
.env.local          # loaded in all cases, ignored by git
.env.[mode]         # only loaded in specified mode
.env.[mode].local   # only loaded in specified mode, ignored by git

Your .env file should look like this:

VUE_APP_MY_ENV_VARIABLE=value
VUE_APP_ANOTHER_VARIABLE=value

As noted in comment below: If you are using Vue cli 3, only variables that start with VUE_APP_ will be loaded.

Don't forget to restart serve if it is currently running.

Vue.js with Vite

Vite exposes env variables that start with VITE_ on the special import.meta.env object.

Your .env should look like this:

VITE_API_ENDPOINT=value
VITE_API_KEY=value

These variables can be accessed in Vue.js components or JavaScript files under import.meta.env.VITE_API_ENDPOINT and import.meta.env.VITE_API_KEY.

Tip: Remember to restart your development server whenever you change or add a variable in the .env file if it's running.

For more info, please see the Vite documentation for env variables.

If you are using Vue cli 3, only variables that start with VUE_APP_ will be loaded.

In the root create a .env file with:

VUE_APP_ENV_VARIABLE=value

And, if it's running, you need to restart serve so that the new env vars can be loaded.

With this, you will be able to use process.env.VUE_APP_ENV_VARIABLE in your project (.js and .vue files).

Update

According to @ali6p, with Vue Cli 3, isn't necessary to install dotenv dependency.