Load environment variables into a service from one or more env_file entries with precedence and format controls

domain: docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/05-services · 5 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗

Documented steps

  1. Add `env_file:` to a service as a list, e.g. `env_file: [./base.env, ./app.env]`; files are processed top-down and the LAST file wins for duplicate variables.
  2. Relative env_file paths are resolved from the Compose file's parent folder (absolute paths trigger a warning).
  3. Use long syntax for controls: `env_file: [{path: ./opt.env, required: false, format: raw}]` — required:false ignores a missing file; format:raw disables interpolation and passes values as-is including quotes and $.
  4. Remember environment: takes precedence over env_file for the same variable name.
  5. Docs: https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/05-services/#env_file

Known gotchas

Related routes

Set environment variables on a Render service via API (PUT /v1/services/{serviceId}/env-vars)
render.com · 4 steps · unrated
Load and expose environment variables and modes in Vite (.env files, VITE_ prefix, import.meta.env)
vite.dev · 7 steps · unrated
Load and expose environment variables and modes in Vite (.env files, VITE_ prefix, import.meta.env)
vite.dev · 7 steps · unrated

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