Environment Setup

Environment variables separate sensitive credentials from source code. The configuration connects StarterApp to authentication providers, database services, and billing infrastructure.

Initial Configuration

Create the local environment file from the template:

cp .env.example .env.local

The .env.local file stores credentials outside version control. Each developer maintains individual configuration values.

Required Variables

Core services require configuration before the application starts:

Billing Configuration

UseAutumn Integration (Optional)

If you plan to use StarterApp's billing flows, configure UseAutumn before syncing to Convex. Otherwise you can skip this section—the default placeholder keeps billing disabled without breaking builds.

AUTUMN_SECRET_KEY=am_sk_your_key_here

npx atmn push

Billing operations fail until configuration synchronization completes. Rerun npx atmn push after modifying products or features in autumn.config.ts.

Convex Environment Sync

Convex functions run in managed infrastructure requiring separate environment configuration. Sync credentials to the Convex deployment using the automated script or manual commands. When billing is not enabled, skip the Autumn secret—the sync script automatically ignores unset values.

Optional Services

Additional integrations for analytics and security:

Environment Variables Reference

Complete variable listing organized by service:

Validation

Verify configuration by starting the development server:

pnpm dev

Successful startup confirms proper environment configuration. The terminal displays application URLs:

• Marketing: http://localhost:3000
• Dashboard: http://localhost:3001
• Docs: http://localhost:3100

Common Configuration Errors

Security Best Practices

Environment variable management follows security principles:

• Files with .local suffix are gitignored automatically
• Production credentials remain separate from development values
• Secrets rotate independently per environment
• No credentials appear in source code or commit history
• Team members maintain individual development configurations

Next Steps

After environment configuration: