Passing Environment Variables to Docusaurus v2
Docusaurus v2, a popular static site generator for documentation, provides a powerful way to manage your content and build beautiful websites. However, you might encounter situations where you need to access environment variables within your Docusaurus site, like API keys, database credentials, or other sensitive information. This article will guide you through the process of passing environment variables to Docusaurus v2.
The Problem: Accessing Sensitive Data in Docusaurus
Imagine you're building a documentation website for a product that utilizes a third-party API. You'll need an API key to access the API, but you don't want to hardcode it directly into your Docusaurus codebase for security reasons. Here's where environment variables come in.
Setting Up Environment Variables
There are two main ways to set environment variables for your Docusaurus project:
1. Using a .env file:
This is the most common approach. You can create a .env file at the root of your Docusaurus project and store your environment variables in it.
API_KEY=your_api_key
Make sure to never commit your .env file to version control (like Git). You can add it to your .gitignore file to prevent this.
2. Using System Environment Variables:
You can also set environment variables directly in your system environment. This method is particularly useful for CI/CD pipelines or when you need to share environment variables across multiple projects.
Accessing Environment Variables in Docusaurus
Docusaurus v2 utilizes the dotenv package to load environment variables from the .env file. You can then access these variables within your Docusaurus configuration files and custom components using the process.env object.
Example:
// docusaurus.config.js
module.exports = {
// ... other configuration options
plugins: [
// ... other plugins
[
'@docusaurus/plugin-google-gtag',
{
trackingID: process.env.GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ID,
},
],
],
};
In this example, we access the GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ID variable from the environment and use it for Google Analytics tracking.
Security Considerations
Always prioritize security when handling sensitive information:
- Use
.envfiles: Store sensitive data only in.envfiles and make sure they're excluded from version control. - Don't commit secrets: Never commit any sensitive information to your code repositories.
- Use environment variables: Leverage environment variables for all sensitive data.
- Implement strong security practices: Follow best practices for protecting your applications and data.
Further Optimization
For a more streamlined approach, you can use a dedicated environment variable management tool like dotenv-cli or env-cmd. These tools offer features like:
- Easy environment variable management: Simplify the process of setting and accessing environment variables.
- Secure handling of secrets: Ensure secure handling of sensitive information.
- Integration with build processes: Integrate with your build pipelines for smoother deployments.
Conclusion
By utilizing environment variables, you can securely manage sensitive information within your Docusaurus v2 projects, enhancing the security and flexibility of your documentation website. Remember to prioritize security measures and choose the most appropriate approach for your specific needs.
