Exporting a .env

Most tools don't need a .env: run them with accio my-app <command> and they get their keys without a file on disk. A .env is for tools that only read a file (like env_file in Docker Compose), apps started from a GUI, or pasting into a dashboard. A .env.example tells teammates and agents which keys a project needs, without any values.

Export a .env

1. Select the project, then choose Secrets > Export .env…, or Control-click the project in the sidebar.
2. Choose the folder. Fidelius remembers it for next time.
3. Check the preview. It lists the key names that will be written and any that are left out.
4. Click Export and confirm with Touch ID or your password.

The file holds the project's own keys only. Keys in shared aren't included, though they still reach commands run with accio. If a .env is already there, Replace moves the old one to the Trash first.

The .env holds your values in plain text, readable only by you. Delete it when you no longer need it.

Keys that are left out

• File secrets. Run your command with accio to get the file's path.
• Values that contain $, which Next.js and Vite would change.
• Values that can't be written safely, like ones with line breaks.

Keep the .env out of git

Before you export, Fidelius checks whether git would commit the file.

• If your repository's .gitignore doesn't cover it, the preview says so and offers to add a rule to the .gitignore at the repository's top level. You can undo that in Settings > File Changes.
• If git already tracks the file, adding a rule won't help. The preview shows the git rm --cached command that stops tracking it.

Export a .env.example

Choose Secrets > Export .env.example…. It lists the key names with no values, so it doesn't ask for Touch ID. If one already exists, Fidelius asks before moving it to the Trash.

Copy as .env

Choose Secrets > Copy as .env to copy the project's keys as .env lines, for example to paste into a hosting dashboard. It asks for Touch ID, and the clipboard clears after 60 seconds.

From a terminal

• accio export opens the Export preview for the project named like the current folder, writing ./.env. You can name a project and a file: accio export my-app .env.local.
• accio export --example writes .env.example directly. Add --replace to move an existing one to the Trash.