environment-variables.md

Environment Variables

Overview

Environment variables are validated at startup using Zod. The application will exit with descriptive errors if any required variables are missing or invalid.

Validation Process

1. All environment variables are defined in apps/api/src/config/env.ts
2. Zod schema validates type, format, and presence
3. Missing required variables cause the process to exit
4. Optional variables have documented defaults
5. Validated config is the single source of truth

Adding New Variables

Step 1: Update Schema

Add the variable to envSchema in apps/api/src/config/env.ts:

NEW_VAR: z.string().min(1, 'NEW_VAR is required'),
npm run generate-env
import { config } from './config/env';

// Use the validated config
const value = config.NEW_VAR;