.env.development.local (2025)
Remember :
This pattern will ignore .env.development.local , .env.production.local , and any other similarly named files.
Hardcoding environment variables directly in an application's code is a common anti-pattern. This approach has several drawbacks: .env.development.local
Before proposing a change to the team's shared .env.development file—such as adding a new environment variable or updating a default value—a developer can test that change locally by first placing it in .env.development.local . This allows them to verify the impact without affecting anyone else. Once the change is validated, they can propose an update to the committed .env.development through a pull request.
Do you need help configuring a file for a multi-package monorepo? Share public link Remember :
This pattern will ignore
Suppose you're working on a web application that uses a database. You have a .env file with the following contents:
: Variables set in .env.development.local are not being used, but they work in .env.local . This allows them to verify the impact without
LoadDev --> LoadEnvLocalDoes .env.local exist? LoadEnvLocal -- Yes --> LoadLocal[Load .env.local values<br>Override .env and .env.development] LoadEnvLocal -- No --> LoadDevLocal
Add .env*.local to your .gitignore file before making your first commit.
The .env.development.local file is an indispensable tool for modern web development workflows. It provides a clean, secure, and conflict-free mechanism for developers to personalize their local environment without disrupting team-wide configurations. By understanding its role in the environment file hierarchy—where it sits at the highest priority during development—you can leverage it to:
// Validate process.env against the schema const parsedEnv = envSchema.safeParse(process.env);