You’ll learn how to add, edit, and manage environment variables for your apps — including the difference between build-time and runtime variables.
Build variables vs runtime variables
Nixopus supports two types of environment variables:
| Type | Available during | Use case |
|---|
| Build | Image build only | API keys for private packages, build flags |
| Runtime | Container execution | Database URLs, secrets, feature flags |
ARG values during the Docker build. Runtime variables are passed to the container at startup as ENV values.
Adding variables during deploy
When creating an app from the deploy form, you can add environment variables and build variables directly. These are applied to the first deployment.
Managing variables on an existing app
Open your app from the Apps list and go to the Configuration tab. You’ll see sections for environment variables and build variables. Add, edit, or remove variables and save.
Changing environment variables does not automatically redeploy your app. You must trigger a new deployment for changes to take effect.
Editing and removing variables
From the Configuration tab, click on any variable to edit its value or delete it. Both actions require a redeployment to apply.
Secrets handling
Variable values are encrypted at rest and masked in the dashboard after saving. Once saved, you can overwrite a secret but you cannot view the original value.
Use a .env.example file in your repo to document the variables your app needs — without committing actual values.
