.env.local.production | !free!

The .env.local.production file is a scalpel in a surgeon's hand—dangerous but precise.

Files like .env.development or .env.production are for settings. Your build tool (e.g., Next.js, Vite) loads the appropriate file based on the command you run ( npm run dev , npm run build ).

Navigating Next.js Environments: The Myth and Reality of .env.local.production .env.local.production

echo "DATABASE_URL=postgres://prod_user:SuperSecret123@db.prod.com/mydb" > .env.production.local git add . && git commit -m "Fix prod config" git push origin main

Here is a typical file setup in a project's root directory: Navigating Next

This section cannot be stressed enough.

This file is designed for exactly this purpose: it loads only when NODE_ENV is set to production , and its .local suffix gives it the highest priority, overriding any settings in .env , .env.local , or .env.production . Consider a project with the following files: When

Consider a project with the following files:

When running npm run build && npm start (production mode), the app will use API_URL from .env.production.local .