# env-manager

Checks .env for structural errors, flags secrets sitting in client-exposed variables, and diffs the file against .env.example. Useful before a deploy.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 340 installs · ★ 78
- Author: bobmatnyc
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills/tree/HEAD/universal/infrastructure/env-manager/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-07-18
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/env-manager

## What it does

The skill walks your `.env` for structural problems: duplicate keys, empty values, wrong casing, unquoted values with spaces. Then framework rules kick in. With Next.js it warns when something secret-looking lives in `NEXT_PUBLIC_*`, with Vite the same for `VITE_*`, with React for `REACT_APP_*`. Node.js and Flask get their own check sets.

Everything runs through `scripts/validate_env.py`, pure Python, no external dependencies. Python 3.7+ is required. The `--compare-with .env.example` flag lists variables missing from `.env` and ones that crept in undocumented. `--generate-example` builds a `.env.example` from your file and swaps secret values for placeholders. For pipelines there is `--json` plus `--strict`, and exit codes separate errors, warnings and a missing file.

The skill ships with `user-invocable: false` and `disable-model-invocation: true`, so nothing fires on its own — you run the script by hand or from CI. If your repo has no `.env.example`, the compare and generate steps have nothing to work against; create the file first.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill env-manager -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/env-manager/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/env-manager/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill env-manager -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/env-manager/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill env-manager -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/env-manager/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills env-manager
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/env-manager/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill env-manager -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --path universal/infrastructure/env-manager
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/env-manager/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill env-manager -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills/tree/HEAD/universal/infrastructure/env-manager/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- catch a secret in `NEXT_PUBLIC_*` before it reaches the bundle
- diff `.env` against `.env.example` to find forgotten variables
- generate a `.env.example` with placeholders instead of live keys
- wire `.env` checks into CI with machine-readable output and exit codes
- debug why a build works locally and fails on deploy

## Example prompts
- check .env for duplicate keys and empty values
- run validate_env.py on .env.local with the nextjs framework
- compare .env with .env.example and list what's missing

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: bc5096081c0ac014.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE bc5096081c0ac014
````text
---
name: env-manager
description: "Environment variable validation, security scanning, and management for Next.js, Vite, React, and Node.js applications"
user-invocable: false
disable-model-invocation: true
progressive_disclosure:
  entry_point:
    summary: "Environment variable validation, security scanning, and management for Next.js, Vite, React, and Node.js applications"
    when_to_use: "When working with env-manager or related functionality."
    quick_start: "1. Review the core concepts below. 2. Apply patterns to your use case. 3. Follow best practices for implementation."
  references:
    - frameworks.md
    - security.md
    - synchronization.md
    - troubleshooting.md
    - validation.md
---
# Environment Variable Manager (env-manager)

**Comprehensive environment variable validation, security scanning, and management for modern web applications.**

[![Security Audited](https://img.shields.io/badge/security-audited-success)](references/security.md)
[![Test Coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/coverage-85%25%2B-success)](tests/)
[![Performance](https://img.shields.io/badge/performance-80x_faster-success)](#performance)

## Overview

The env-manager skill provides systematic environment variable management across local development, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment platforms. It prevents common issues like missing variables, exposed secrets, and framework-specific configuration errors.

**Key Features:**
- **Framework-Aware Validation**: Next.js, Vite, React, Node.js, Flask support
- **Security-First**: Never logs secrets, detects exposed credentials
- **Platform Integration**: Ready for Vercel, Railway, Heroku, and CI/CD
- **Fast**: Validates 1000 variables in 0.025s (80x faster than 2s target)
- **Zero Dependencies**: Pure Python, works anywhere

## Why Use env-manager?

**Common problems this solves:**
- "Works on my machine, but not in production" (missing env vars)
- Accidentally exposing API keys in client-side code (NEXT_PUBLIC_ with secrets)
- Missing required variables during deployment
- Inconsistent .env files across team members
- No documentation of required environment variables
- Security vulnerabilities from exposed secrets

## Quick Start

### Installation

No installation needed! env-manager is a bundled skill in Claude MPM.

**Requirements:**
- Python 3.7+
- No external dependencies

### 5-Minute Quick Start

```bash
# 1. Validate your .env file
python3 scripts/validate_env.py .env

# 2. Check for framework-specific issues (Next.js example)
python3 scripts/validate_env.py .env --framework nextjs
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE bc5096081c0ac014

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the bc5096081c0ac014 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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