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If an .env.local edit seems to have no effect, check the file’s location, the variable name and access syntax, and whether another environment source overrides it. Then restart the right process: Vite reads env files at startup, while Next.js browser-visible NEXT_PUBLIC_ values are fixed in the client bundle when you build.
Start with the file, key, and code that reads it
- Put the file at the project root. Place
.env.localbeside the project’s package configuration, not insidesrc. Next.js expects env files at the root even when the app uses asrcdirectory. See the Next.js environment-variable guide. - Match the variable name and framework syntax. In Next.js browser code, a public variable must use a statically named expression such as
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL. In Vite browser code, useimport.meta.env.VITE_API_URL. Unprefixed variables are not exposed to client code by default. - Check whether the code runs on the server or in the browser. Unprefixed environment variables can be read in server-side code; they are not automatically available in browser JavaScript. If the value is meant for the browser, expose it intentionally with the framework’s prefix. Never put secrets in variables with
NEXT_PUBLIC_orVITE_: those values can reach client code.
Find out which value takes precedence
An env file may contain the right value while the running application receives a different one from a higher-priority source. Check the shell, IDE, container, deployment settings, and package script for an existing process environment variable with the same name.
Next.js precedence
Next.js checks these sources in order, from highest priority to lowest:
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If the same variable appears in multiple places, the earlier source wins. For example, a value already set in the process environment can override the value in .env.local. The full order is documented by Next.js.
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Vite precedence and mode
Vite loads .env, .env.local, .env.[mode], and .env.[mode].local from its environment directory. Mode-specific files take precedence over generic files; variables already present in the process environment take priority over values from env files. The default dev command uses development mode, and vite build uses production mode. See Vite’s env and mode guide.
Vite mode and NODE_ENV are related but distinct. For example, vite build --mode development selects the development mode, but the build still uses production NODE_ENV by default. If a mode-specific value or an import.meta.env flag looks wrong, inspect both. The Vite 5 guide also documents this distinction. If you use Bun, note that it may load env files before Vite starts, affecting which values Vite sees.
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Restart or rebuild according to what changed
Vite: restart the dev server
Vite loads env files when it starts, so changing .env.local while the server is running will not refresh the loaded value. Stop and restart the Vite dev server, then check the application again. Vite’s guide explicitly says to restart after env-file changes.
Next.js: restart for development, rebuild for public client values
If a development process is still using values loaded when it started, stop and restart it after editing the env file. For a browser-visible NEXT_PUBLIC_ variable in a production app, changing the deployment environment after the build is too late: Next.js inlines the value into the JavaScript bundle during next build. Build again with the intended value and deploy the refreshed artifact. The Next.js guide explains build-time inlining.
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Server-side runtime reads are different. Next.js documents reading environment variables during dynamic rendering, which can allow server-side configuration to be evaluated at runtime; a prebuilt or static artifact may instead retain values fixed during its build. See Next.js self-hosting guidance for the distinction between build-time and runtime configuration.
Use the right fix for the symptom
| What you observe | What to check or do |
|---|---|
| Value is undefined in browser code | Confirm the file is at the project root, use NEXT_PUBLIC_ with a statically named process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_NAME in Next.js, or VITE_ with import.meta.env.VITE_NAME in Vite. |
| The app gets an old or unexpected value | Look for the same key in process variables and higher-priority env files; for Vite, also verify the active mode. |
| Vite still shows the old value after an edit | Stop and restart the Vite server so it reloads env files. |
| A deployed Next.js client still has the old public value | Rebuild with the intended value and deploy the new client bundle. |
| A secret is needed by server code | Keep it unprefixed and access it only in server-side code; do not expose it through a public prefix. |
Keep build-time configuration separate from secrets
In Next.js, NEXT_PUBLIC_ is for values safe to expose in the browser, not a security control. The same applies to Vite’s VITE_ prefix. Next.js also documents that values configured through next.config.js’s env option are substituted at build time and included in JavaScript; that setting is not a way to keep a secret private. See the Next.js env configuration reference.
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