Environment Command

The env command helps you manage environment variables and API keys for your ElizaOS projects. It provides a secure and convenient way to set, view, and manage sensitive configuration.

Usage

npx @elizaos/cli env [command] [options]

Commands

Command	Description
list	List all environment variables
edit-global	Edit global environment variables
edit-local	Edit local environment variables
reset	Reset all environment variables and wipe the cache folder
set-path <path>	Set a custom path for the global environment file
interactive	Start interactive environment variable manager

If no command is provided, a help message will be shown with available commands.

Global vs Local Environment Variables

ElizaOS maintains two levels of environment variables:

1. Global variables - Stored in ~/.eliza/.env by default or in a custom location if set
2. Local variables - Stored in .env in your current project directory

Global variables are applied to all projects, while local variables are specific to the current project.

Interactive Mode

The interactive mode provides a user-friendly way to manage environment variables:

npx @elizaos/cli env interactive

This opens a menu with options to:

• List environment variables
• Edit global environment variables
• Edit local environment variables
• Set custom environment path
• Reset environment variables

Managing Environment Variables

Listing Variables

View all configured environment variables:

npx @elizaos/cli env list

This will display both global and local variables (if available).

Editing Global Variables

Edit the global environment variables interactively:

npx @elizaos/cli env edit-global

This provides an interactive interface to:

• View existing global variables
• Add new variables
• Edit existing variables
• Delete variables

Editing Local Variables

Edit the local environment variables in the current project:

npx @elizaos/cli env edit-local

If no local .env file exists, you will be prompted to create one.

Setting Custom Environment Path

Set a custom location for the global environment file:

npx @elizaos/cli env set-path /path/to/custom/location

If the specified path is a directory, the command will use /path/to/custom/location/.env.

Resetting Environment Variables

Reset all environment variables and clear the cache:

npx @elizaos/cli env reset

This will:

1. Remove the global .env file
2. Clear any custom environment path setting
3. Wipe the cache folder
4. Optionally reset the database folder (you'll be prompted)

Examples

Viewing Environment Variables

# List all variables
npx @elizaos/cli env list

Output example:

Global environment variables (.eliza/.env):
  OPENAI_API_KEY: sk-1234...5678
  MODEL_PROVIDER: openai

Local environment variables (.env):
  PORT: 8080
  LOG_LEVEL: debug

Setting Custom Environment Path

# Set a custom path for global environment variables
npx @elizaos/cli env set-path ~/projects/eliza-config/.env

Interactive Editing

# Start interactive mode
npx @elizaos/cli env interactive

# Edit only global variables
npx @elizaos/cli env edit-global

# Edit only local variables
npx @elizaos/cli env edit-local

Key Variables

ElizaOS commonly uses these environment variables:

Variable	Description
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key for model access
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY	Anthropic API key for Claude models
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN	Token for Telegram bot integration
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN	Token for Discord bot integration
POSTGRES_URL	PostgreSQL database connection string
MODEL_PROVIDER	Default model provider to use
LOG_LEVEL	Logging verbosity (debug, info, warn, error)
PORT	HTTP API port number

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit .env files to version control
2. Use separate environments for development, testing, and production
3. Set up global variables for commonly used API keys
4. Regularly rotate API keys for security

Related Commands

• start: Start your project with the configured environment
• dev: Run in development mode with the configured environment
• create: Create a new project with initial environment setup