Environment Variables
How to set environment variables for Node.js apps on Hostinger: adding and importing .env values in hPanel, validation rules, and applying changes via redeploy.
Set the values your Node.js app reads from process.env. Variables are injected into both the build and the running app, and persist across deployments — set them once, not on every push.
Where to manage them
During onboarding — the deploy settings screen has a Set environment variables section.
After deploy — open Environment variables in your website dashboard sidebar.
Adding variables
Add variables one at a time with Add environment variable, or bulk-import with Import .env — upload a .env file and Hostinger parses it (comments are skipped, surrounding quotes stripped).
Validation rules:
Key format
Uppercase letters, numbers, and underscores only (A–Z, 0–9, _)
Key length
Up to 255 characters
Key uniqueness
Duplicate keys are rejected
Value length
Limited — extremely long values are rejected with an error
Variables per app
Up to 1,000
Editing and deleting
Values are masked in the table — use the show/hide toggle to reveal one. Edit inline, or delete with confirmation.
Some variables are system-managed (created by Hostinger features, e.g. the database connect wizard) and marked with an explanatory tooltip; locked variables can't be edited.
Applying changes
Changes are staged until you save — the page tracks an "Unsaved changes" count and warns if you navigate away. Saving redeploys the application so the new values take effect in both build and runtime.
Notes
Values are stored encrypted and written to a protected file on your hosting, readable only by your app.
Don't commit secrets to your repository — set them here instead.
Variables needed at build time (e.g.
NEXT_PUBLIC_*, API URLs baked into a static bundle) must be set before the build that uses them.
Related
Creating a Node.js App — the database wizard sets connection variables for you
Deployments — how redeploys work
Last updated: July 22, 2026
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