Waymark / Routes / docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/05-services/ Load environment variables from multiple env_file files in Docker Compose (order and precedence)
domain: docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/05-services/ · 6 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
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Documented steps On a service set `env_file: [path/to/one.env, path/to/two.env]` (or a single file as a plain string). Relative paths resolve from the directory containing the Compose file; absolute paths trigger a warning. Files are processed top-down, so a duplicate variable in a LATER file wins over an earlier one. The inline `environment:` attribute overrides any value coming from env_file, even if the inline value is empty/undefined. Check the merged env for a service with `docker compose config`. Docs: https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/05-services/ Known gotchas env_file contents are passed to the container environment literally — variables inside an env_file are NOT subject to ${} interpolation. The service `environment:` attribute always wins over env_file on name conflicts. Precedence order is: shell/CLI env and `environment:` > later env_file > earlier env_file. Swarm (`docker stack deploy`) does not support env_file the same as the Compose CLI.
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