Environment Variables Not Loading in Production
Environment variables are not being loaded correctly in production after Cursor reorganized your configuration management code. The application uses hardcoded values or incorrect env var names.
What worked in development now fails in deployed environments.
Error Messages You Might See
Common Causes
- process.env.VAR_NAME with incorrect variable name (capitalization, underscores)
- Env variables loaded too late, after being used by initial code
- .env file referenced in code instead of using process.env
- Env loading library (dotenv) no longer called before main app code
- Variable names changed but deployment config not updated
How to Fix It
Load env early: require('dotenv').config() as first line. Use process.env.VAR_NAME not require('.env'). Add console.log for debugging but never commit sensitive values. Verify deployment has env vars set.
Real developers can help you.
Jaime Orts-Caroff
I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields
Meïr Ankri
Full-stack developer specializing in React / Next.js / Node.js with 6+ years of experience. I've worked across various sectors including automotive (Reezocar/Société Générale), healthcare (Medical Link SaaS), and e-commerce (Glasman). I build web apps end-to-end, from architecture to production, with a focus on scalability, performance, and code quality. I also mentor junior developers and contribute to technical decisions and code reviews.
Antriksh Narang
5 years+ Experienced Dev (Specially in Web Development), can help in python, javascript, react, next.js and full stack web dev technologies.
Tejas Chokhawala
Full-stack engineer with 5 years experience building production web apps using React, Next.js and TypeScript.
Focused on performance, clean architecture and shipping fast.
Experienced with Supabase/Postgres backends, Stripe billing, and building AI-assisted developer tools.
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
Jared Hasson
Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever
Matthew Butler
Systems Development Engineer @ Amazon Web Services
Pratik
SWE with 15+ years of experience building and maintaining web apps and extensive BE infrastructure
Matt Butler
Software Engineer @ AWS
legrab
I'll fill this later
You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
How do I manage secrets?
Never commit secrets. Use deployment platform's secrets manager (Heroku config vars, AWS Secrets Manager) and reference with process.env.
How do I validate env vars?
On startup, check all required vars exist. Use schema validation library or simple if statements.