.env.development ((new)) (2025)

: By storing sensitive keys here rather than hard-coding them, you prevent accidental exposure in your source code.

In frameworks like and Create React App , environment files follow a strict hierarchy. Generally, files with .local suffixes take the highest priority, followed by environment-specific files: .env.development.local (Highest priority, machine-specific) .env.development (Shared development defaults) .env.local .env (Lowest priority, general defaults) Common Use Cases Category Example Variables API Configuration REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api Database DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost:5432/dev_db Feature Toggles ENABLE_DEBUG_LOGS=true Auth Keys .env.development

Use .local files for machine-specific overrides (e.g., local API keys). : By storing sensitive keys here rather than

: Avoid manually changing variables every time you move from writing code locally to deploying it. .env.development

# Feature Flags ENABLE_NEW_UI=true