.env File Linking

Nouto can link a .env file from your project directory and load its variables alongside your environment variables. The file is watched for changes and reloads automatically whenever you save it.

Linking a .env File

1. Open the Variables tab in the Nouto sidebar.
2. In the .env File section, click Link .env File.
3. Select your .env file from the file picker.
4. The file’s variables appear immediately in the panel.

Unlinking

Click Unlink next to the file name. All variables from the file are removed immediately. Your environments and global variables are unaffected.

Supported Format

Nouto parses standard .env file syntax:

# Comments are ignored
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DB_NAME=myapp

# Quoted values
API_KEY="sk-abc123"
DESCRIPTION='A literal string with no escapes'

# Double-quoted values support escape sequences
MULTILINE="Line one\nLine two"

# Inline comments (unquoted values only)
TIMEOUT=30 # seconds

# Variable with underscores and numbers
RETRY_COUNT_MAX=3

Parsing Rules

Feature	Behavior
# comment lines	Ignored entirely
Empty lines	Skipped
Unquoted values	Trimmed; trailing # comment stripped
Double-quoted values	Supports \n, \t, \", \\ escape sequences
Single-quoted values	Literal strings, no escape processing
Key format	Must start with a letter or underscore, followed by letters, digits, or underscores

Auto-Reload

Nouto watches the linked file for changes. When you edit and save it in any editor, the variables update within seconds. There is no need to re-link or restart. If the file is deleted, its variables are cleared. If it reappears, the variables reload automatically.

Priority

.env file variables have the lowest priority in Nouto’s resolution chain. When the same key exists in multiple sources, the active environment or global variables take precedence:

Priority	Source
Highest	Active environment
	Global variables
Lowest	Linked .env file

This means you can define a default value in .env (e.g., API_URL=http://localhost:3000) and override it in a specific environment (e.g., Production: API_URL=https://api.example.com) without touching the file.

Using .env Variables

Use .env variables the same way as any other variable:

GET {{API_URL}}/users/{{USER_ID}}
Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}

Persistence

The linked file path is saved as part of your Nouto workspace configuration. When you reopen the workspace, the file is re-linked automatically.

Common Use Case

Link the .env file already present in your project root. This gives Nouto access to the same configuration your application reads, so you can test against the same endpoints without duplicating variables.

# Your project's .env
DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/mydb
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
AUTH_SERVICE_URL=http://localhost:4000
JWT_SECRET=dev-secret-not-for-prod

Nouto picks up all of these. Switch to a different environment for production values without editing this file.