backend/.env.example to backend/.env and populate the values before starting the backend. Variables prefixed with DJANGO_ are read by django-configurations and automatically stripped of the prefix before being passed to Django settings.
All variables default to
None in .env.example. The backend will fail to start for any required variable left as None.Algolia
The application ID for the Algolia project. Used to initialize the Algolia client for search and indexing.Example:
APPID123The write API key for Algolia. Required for the backend to create, update, and delete records in Algolia indices.Example:
abc123writekeyA comma-separated list of index names to exclude when running locally. Prevents specific indices from being created or modified in development environments.Example:
local_chapters,local_projectsAWS
AWS access key ID. Used to authenticate with AWS services such as S3 for static file and media storage via
django-storages.Example: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLEAWS secret access key. Used alongside
DJANGO_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID to authenticate AWS API requests.Example: wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEYDjango core
The Django settings class to load. Controls which environment-specific settings are active.Accepted values:
Local, Production, Staging, Test, E2e, FuzzExample: LocalDjango’s cryptographic signing key. Used for sessions, CSRF tokens, and password reset links. Must be kept secret and unique per environment.Example:
django-insecure-changemeComma-separated list of hostnames the server is permitted to serve. Prevents HTTP Host header injection attacks.Example:
localhost,127.0.0.1The current release version of the backend. Used for identification in logs and Sentry releases.Example:
1.0.5The public IP address to use for geographic location lookups in local development.Example:
127.0.0.1Database
Hostname of the PostgreSQL server. When using Docker Compose locally, this is the container service name.Example:
dbPort number for the PostgreSQL connection.Example:
5432Name of the PostgreSQL database.Example:
nestUsername for the PostgreSQL connection.Example:
postgresPassword for the PostgreSQL database user.
GitHub
Personal access token or app installation token for the GitHub API. Used by management commands that sync organization data, repositories, issues, and users.Example:
ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOpenAI / ElevenLabs
Secret key for the OpenAI API. Required for AI-powered features including embedding generation and the LangGraph agent.Example:
sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAPI key for the ElevenLabs text-to-speech service. Used for audio generation in community snapshot videos.Example:
el_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRedis
Hostname of the Redis server. Used for both the
django-redis response cache and the Django RQ task queue.Example: cachePassword for Redis authentication. Required when
DJANGO_REDIS_AUTH_ENABLED is True.Example: strongredispasswordWhether Redis requires password authentication. Set to
False for local development without a Redis password.Default: TrueSlack
OAuth bot token for the NestBot Slack app. Authenticates the bot so it can send messages and respond to events in Slack channels.Example:
xoxb-xxxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxSigning secret for the Slack app. Used to verify that incoming webhook payloads originate from Slack.Example:
abc123signingsecretSentry
Data Source Name (DSN) for the Sentry error-tracking service. When set, all unhandled exceptions and performance traces are sent to Sentry.Example:
https://[email protected]/654321