> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://archie.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment variables

> Set environment variables for your project.

Environment variables hold configuration values your app reads at runtime — API endpoints, feature flags, and any other values that should not be hard-coded.

## Adding a variable

1. Open **Project → Settings → Environment variables**.
2. Click **Add another variable**.
3. Enter the **key** (for example, `STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY`) and **value**.
4. Click **Save variables**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/archie-e998dbf6/LxC2D3x9dqFVd4Vn/features/backend/settings/environment-variables/settings-environment-variables.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=LxC2D3x9dqFVd4Vn&q=85&s=1d422cad6c17c2a2be60659a454845ea" alt="Environment variables page with several key-value rows" width="3438" height="1764" data-path="features/backend/settings/environment-variables/settings-environment-variables.png" />

## Per-environment variables

If your project has multiple [environments](/docs/features/backend/environments/overview) (development, staging, production), you can scope variables per environment. Production-only secrets stay out of development.

## Where variables are used

* **Generated code** reads env vars via the standard mechanism for your stack
* **Custom functions** access them as named values
* **Integrations** that need credentials beyond their own configuration

For integration credentials specifically (Stripe keys, SendGrid API key, and so on), use the [Integrations settings](/docs/features/backend/integrations/overview) — they handle credential rotation and isolation better than raw env vars.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Are environment variables encrypted at rest?">
    Yes.&#x20;
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>