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SkyTeam ROBLOX uses environment variables for configuration across all applications. This guide explains each variable and how to configure them.

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Environment File Setup

Create a .env file in the root directory: 
cp .env.example .env
Edit the .env file with your configuration values. This file is shared across all applications in the monorepo.

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Environment Variables Reference

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Database Configuration

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DATABASE_URL
string
required
PostgreSQL connection string for the database.Format: postgresql://[user]:[password]@[host]:[port]/[database]Example:
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://skyteam:secret123@localhost:5432/skyteam"
For cloud databases, use the connection string provided by your provider:
  • Supabase: Project Settings → Database → Connection String
  • Neon: Dashboard → Connection Details
  • AWS RDS: Endpoint from RDS Console

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Discord Bot Configuration

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DISCORD_TOKEN
string
required
Authentication token for the Discord bot.How to obtain:
  1. Go to Discord Developer Portal
  2. Create a new application or select existing
  3. Navigate to “Bot” section
  4. Copy the token
Example:
DISCORD_TOKEN="MTIzNDU2Nzg5MDEyMzQ1Njc4OQ.GhIjKl.MnOpQrStUvWxYzAbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUv"
Never commit your Discord token to version control. Keep it secret!
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DISCORD_HOME_GUILD_ID
string
required
The Discord server (guild) ID where the bot operates.How to obtain:
  1. Enable Developer Mode in Discord (User Settings → Advanced → Developer Mode)
  2. Right-click your server icon
  3. Click “Copy Server ID”
Example:
DISCORD_HOME_GUILD_ID="1122953128703168532"
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DISCORD_CLIENT_ID
string
required
The Discord application client ID.How to obtain:
  1. Go to Discord Developer Portal
  2. Select your application
  3. Copy the “Application ID” from General Information
Example:
DISCORD_CLIENT_ID="1234567890123456789"

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Web Application Configuration

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NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL
string
required
Public URL for the backend API server.Development:
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL="http://localhost:4000"
Production:
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL="https://api.skyteam.dev"
The NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix makes this variable available in the browser.

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Admin Panel Configuration

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ADMIN_JWT_SECRET
string
required
Secret key for signing JWT tokens in the admin panel.Generate a secure secret:
# Using OpenSSL
openssl rand -base64 32

# Using Node.js
node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('base64'))"
Example:
ADMIN_JWT_SECRET="a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t0u1v2w3x4y5z6"
Use a cryptographically secure random string. Never use a predictable value.

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Development Configuration

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NODE_ENV
string
default:"development"
Application environment mode.Valid values:
  • development - Development mode with hot reload and debug logging
  • production - Production mode with optimizations
  • test - Testing mode
Example:
NODE_ENV="development"

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Complete Configuration Example

Here’s a complete .env file example: 
# Database
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://skyteam:password@localhost:5432/skyteam"

# Discord Bot
DISCORD_TOKEN="MTIzNDU2Nzg5MDEyMzQ1Njc4OQ.GhIjKl.MnOpQrStUvWxYzAbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUv"
DISCORD_HOME_GUILD_ID="1122953128703168532"
DISCORD_CLIENT_ID="1234567890123456789"

# Web
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL="http://localhost:4000"

# Admin
ADMIN_JWT_SECRET="a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t0u1v2w3x4y5z6"

# Dev
NODE_ENV="development"

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Application-Specific Configuration

Some applications may have additional configuration files:

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API Server (apps/api/)

The API server reads configuration from the root .env file. You can also create apps/api/.env for API-specific overrides: 
PORT=4000
CORS_ORIGIN="http://localhost:3000,http://localhost:3001"

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Web Application (apps/web/)

Next.js applications can use .env.local for local overrides: 
PORT=3000
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL="http://localhost:4000"

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Admin Panel (apps/admin/)

Similar to the web application: 
PORT=3001
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL="http://localhost:4000"
ADMIN_JWT_SECRET="your-secret-here"

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Environment Variable Loading

SkyTeam uses dotenv-cli to load environment variables: 
# Automatically loads .env file
pnpm dev

# Manually specify env file
dotenv -e .env.production -- pnpm build

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Security Best Practices

1

Never Commit Secrets

The .env file is in .gitignore. Never commit it to version control.
.gitignore
.env
.env.local
.env.production
2

Use Strong Secrets

Generate cryptographically secure random strings for all secret keys:
# Generate 32-byte random string
openssl rand -base64 32
3

Rotate Secrets Regularly

Change sensitive tokens and secrets periodically, especially:
  • After team member changes
  • If you suspect a leak
  • As part of security maintenance
4

Use Different Values Per Environment

Never use the same secrets for development and production:
  • .env → Development
  • .env.production → Production
  • Use secret management tools in production (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, etc.)

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Docker Configuration

When using Docker, environment variables are passed via docker-compose.yml:
docker-compose.yml
services:
  api:
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}
      - ADMIN_JWT_SECRET=${ADMIN_JWT_SECRET}
See the Docker Setup guide for more details.

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Validation

The application validates required environment variables on startup. If any are missing, you’ll see an error: 
Error: DATABASE_URL environment variable is not set
Run pnpm dev to verify your configuration. All services should start without errors.

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Next Steps

Database Setup

Initialize and configure the PostgreSQL database

Docker Deployment

Deploy with Docker using environment variables

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