Glossary · Security and access
Environment variable
Runtime configuration supplied outside application source, commonly used for environment-specific values and secret references.
Definition
An environment variable supplies configuration to a process when it runs. It can distinguish preview from production settings or provide access to a secret managed by the hosting platform. It prevents hard-coding a credential into public source, but it still requires access controls and rotation procedures.
Why it matters
Public website source can remain portable and reviewable while credentials stay in restricted platform configuration.
Common misunderstanding
Moving a secret into an environment variable does not make every user or log safe; the runtime, deployment, debugging, and access paths still need review.
Related terms
Related system family: Secure Integrations & Custom Tools
Sources
- REST API endpoints for GitHub Actions (opens in a new tab) · GitHub Docs
- Manage API keys (opens in a new tab) · Google Cloud Documentation
Last reviewed July 16, 2026