Automatically Generate .env.example from Your Code—No More Guesswork!

#webdev #programming #beginners #javascript

If you’ve ever joined a new project and found yourself asking,

“What environment variables do I need?”

…you know the frustration.

You open the repo, search for .env.example—if it even exists—only to find it outdated or missing. Now you’re digging through the codebase, scanning for every process.env.SOMETHING just to figure out what to put in your .env file.

That’s where Spotenv comes in.

💡 Meet Spotenv

Spotenv is a tiny but powerful CLI tool that scans your source code, finds all your environment variable references, and automatically creates or updates a .env.example file.

It’s like having a smart assistant that keeps your environment variable documentation always up-to-date—without you lifting a finger.

“Spotenv is a small, practical CLI tool that scans your project source code to find environment variables and produces a .env.example file containing the discovered keys.”

⚡ Why Spotenv Matters

No more manual updates to .env.example
Perfect for onboarding—new developers get all the keys they need right away
Keeps secrets safe—no values, just the keys
Fits into your workflow—run it locally or in CI pipelines
Language/framework agnostic—works wherever you use process.env

🚀 Quick Start

Install Spotenv globally via npm:

npm install -g spotenv

Run it in your project root:

spotenv -d ./src

You’ll instantly get a fresh .env.example file:

DATABASE_URL=
API_KEY=
JWT_SECRET=

If you already have one, Spotenv will update it with any new variables it finds—keeping things tidy and current.

🛠 Example Workflow in a Team

Before pushing code
Run spotenv to ensure .env.example reflects all variables your code uses.
On CI
Add Spotenv to a CI step to automatically fail builds if .env.example is missing any variables.
For open-source projects
Give contributors a ready-to-use .env.example so they can start coding right away—no guesswork.

Where Spotenv Shines

Open-source repos → Boost contributor productivity
Microservice setups → Keep multiple .env.example files in sync
Large teams → End the “Which env vars are we missing?” Slack messages
Hackathons → Set up projects faster and focus on coding, not configs

Support the Project

If Spotenv saves you time or keeps your team sane, give it a star on GitHub 🌟

👉 Star Spotenv now

Your star not only supports the project but also helps more developers discover it. Contributions, feedback, and feature requests are always welcome!

Happy coding, and may your .env.example always be complete! 💻✨

Let’s connect!!: 🤝

LinkedIn
GitHub

Top comments (6)

Anik Sikder • Aug 16

This is such a time-saver. I’ve spent way too many hours digging through code just to figure out which env vars are needed. Spotenv sounds like one of those small tools that quietly solves a big headache. Definitely adding this to my workflow, thanks for sharing!