Common Issues deployment

Environment Variables Not Working in Production

Your app works perfectly on your local machine or in the AI tool's preview, but in production it fails. The cause is almost always missing or misconfigured environment variables — API keys, database URLs, and secrets that the app needs to function.

Common Causes

  • Environment variables not set in the hosting platform (Vercel, Netlify, Railway, Render)
  • Variable names are different between .env file and hosting platform
  • The .env file was committed to git with wrong values for production
  • Environment variables not available at build time (some frameworks require this)
  • The app reads from process.env but the hosting platform uses a different mechanism

How to Fix It

  1. List all variables in your .env file and verify each one is set in your hosting platform
  2. Check that variable names match exactly (they're case-sensitive)
  3. Some frameworks require env vars prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ or VITE_ to be available in the browser
  4. After adding env vars, redeploy — most platforms require a redeploy for changes to take effect
  5. Check deployment logs for messages about missing configuration

Real developers can help you.

Prakash Prajapati Prakash Prajapati I’m a Senior Python Developer specializing in building secure, scalable, and highly available systems. I work primarily with Python, Django, FastAPI, Docker, PostgreSQL, and modern AI tooling such as PydanticAI, focusing on clean architecture, strong design principles, and reliable DevOps practices. I enjoy solving complex engineering problems and designing systems that are maintainable, resilient, and built to scale. Rudra Bhikadiya Rudra Bhikadiya I build and fix web apps across Next.js, Node.js, and DBs. Comfortable jumping into messy code, broken APIs, and mysterious bugs. If your project works in theory but not in reality, I help close that gap. Victor Denisov Victor Denisov Developer ISHANTDEEP SINGH ISHANTDEEP SINGH Senior Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, Next.js, and Node.js. I’ve also worked as a tech lead for startups, owning end-to-end technical execution including architecture, development, scaling, and delivery. I bring a strong mix of hands-on coding, product thinking, and technical leadership, and I’m comfortable building products from scratch as well as improving and scaling existing systems. MFox MFox Full-stack professional senior engineer (15+years). Extensive experience in software development, qa, and IP networking. legrab legrab I'll fill this later Richard McSorley Richard McSorley Full-Stack Software Engineer with 8+ years building high-performance applications for enterprise clients. Shipped production systems at Walmart (4,000+ stores), Cigna (20M+ users), and Arkansas Blue Cross. 5 patents in retail/supply chain tech. Currently focused on AI integrations, automation tools, and TypeScript-first architectures. Caio Rodrigues Caio Rodrigues I'm a full-stack developer focused on building practical and scalable web applications. My main experience is with **React, TypeScript, and modern frontend architectures**, where I prioritize clean code, component reusability, and maintainable project structures. I have strong experience working with **dynamic forms, state management (Redux / React Hook Form), and complex data-driven interfaces**. I enjoy solving real-world problems by turning ideas into reliable software that companies can actually use in their daily operations. Beyond coding, I care about **software quality and architecture**, following best practices for componentization, code organization, and performance optimization. I'm also comfortable working across the stack when needed, integrating APIs, handling business logic, and helping transform prototypes into production-ready systems. My goal is always to deliver solutions that are **simple, efficient, and genuinely useful for the people using them.** Jaime Orts-Caroff Jaime Orts-Caroff I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields Anthony Akpan Anthony Akpan Developer with 8 years of experience building softwares fro startups

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Frequently Asked Questions

The app works on my computer but not after deploy. Is it env vars?

Very likely. This is the #1 cause of 'works locally, breaks in production'. Check that all environment variables from your .env file are set in your hosting platform.

I set the env vars but it still doesn't work. What else could it be?

Make sure you redeployed after adding them. Also check that the variable names match exactly (case-sensitive) and that any framework-required prefixes are included.

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