BROADCAST_DRIVER=log CACHE_DRIVER=file QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync SESSION_DRIVER=file
✅ in your application code. Keep env() calls exclusively in configuration files.
Configuration | Laravel 13.x - The clean stack for Artisans and agents
Application configuration can quickly become messy. Hardcoding database credentials, API keys, and application states directly into your codebase creates massive security vulnerabilities and makes deployment a nightmare. .env.laravel
Here, the name .env.laravel is arbitrary—you could name it anything. Docker reads it and injects variables into the container.
The second argument passed into the env() helper acts as a fallback default if the key does not exist inside your active .env file. Accessing Values in Code
APP_NAME="My Laravel Application"
php artisan config:clear
Reading a plain text .env file on every single HTTP request adds unnecessary file system I/O overhead. To speed up your application, Laravel allows you to compile all configuration files and environment variables into a single cached PHP file.
Ensure your web server (Nginx or Apache) is configured to deny access to the .env file from the outside world. D. Use Encryption for Production The second argument passed into the env() helper
This key is used for encrypting sessions, cookies, and other sensitive data. A weak key can compromise the security of your entire application.
When Laravel boots up, the Dotenv library (by Vance Lucas) loads these variables into $_ENV and $_SERVER , and the env() helper function retrieves them. The config/ files then use env() to set framework-specific settings.
When you first install Laravel, the framework automatically copies a template file named .env.example into a brand-new .env file. The standard file utilizes a clean KEY=VALUE pair format. When you first install Laravel
Access the setting using the config() helper throughout your application.
QUEUE_CONNECTION=database CACHE_STORE=database SESSION_DRIVER=database Use code with caution.