Environment Variables

API (`packages/api/.env`)

The API validates its environment at startup. A missing required variable or an invalid value (for example a non-numeric PORT) causes the process to exit immediately with an error naming the offending variable, rather than failing later at runtime.

Required

Variable	Description
`DATABASE_URL`	PostgreSQL connection string, e.g. `postgresql://user:pass@localhost:5432/ablebase`.
`BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`	Secret used to sign auth tokens. Generate with `openssl rand -base64 32`.
`BETTER_AUTH_URL`	Must be the web origin (e.g. `http://localhost:5173`), not the API’s own port. Auth callbacks and session cookies are issued against this URL.

BETTER_AUTH_URL is listed as required because any real deployment needs it for correct auth callbacks and cookies. The app will still boot without it (useful for local/test runs), but set it for anything beyond local development.

Server

Variable	Default	Description
`PORT`	`3001`	Port the API listens on.
`HOST`	`0.0.0.0`	Bind address.
`CLIENT_ORIGIN`	`http://localhost:4813`	Comma-separated list of allowed CORS origins.
`TRUST_PROXY`	—	Set to `"true"` when running behind a reverse proxy to get accurate client IPs for rate limiting.
`SKIP_MIGRATIONS`	—	Set to `"1"` to skip automatic migrations at startup.
`UPLOAD_DIR`	`./uploads`	Filesystem path for storing uploaded profile pictures, org logos, and cached integration logos. Must be a persistent volume in containerized deployments.

Registration

Variable	Default	Description
`ALLOW_SIGNUP`	`false`	Set to `"true"` to allow new email/password account registration.

These credentials power GitHub social login and are separate from the GitHub App used for integrations (below).

Variable	Description
`GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`	GitHub OAuth App client ID.
`GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET`	GitHub OAuth App client secret.

The OAuth callback URL must be <BETTER_AUTH_URL>/api/auth/callback/github.

GitHub App (integration)

Credentials for the Integrations feature — linking repositories and importing issues. These are separate from the sign-in credentials above. All are optional: when any is missing, the GitHub integration is disabled and the app still boots. See Integrations.

Variable	Description
`GITHUB_APP_ID`	GitHub App ID.
`GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY`	GitHub App private key (PEM). In env files, encode newlines as `\n`.
`GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID`	GitHub App client ID.
`GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_SECRET`	GitHub App client secret.
`GITHUB_APP_WEBHOOK_SECRET`	Secret used to verify inbound GitHub webhooks. Must match the webhook secret configured on the GitHub App.
`GITHUB_APP_SLUG`	The GitHub App’s URL slug (used to build install links).

Point the GitHub App’s webhook URL at <host>/api/integrations/github/webhooks and subscribe to the Issues, Installation, and Installation repositories events. See GitHub App (integrations) for the full setup.

Linear (integration)

OAuth client credentials for connecting a Linear workspace via the Integrations feature. Both are optional: when either is missing, the Linear integration is disabled and the app still boots. See Integrations.

Variable	Description
`LINEAR_CLIENT_ID`	Linear OAuth application client ID.
`LINEAR_CLIENT_SECRET`	Linear OAuth application client secret.

The OAuth redirect URI registered in the Linear application must be <web-origin>/integrations/linear/setup.

Error tracking

Variable	Description
`SENTRY_DSN`	Sentry DSN for server-side error tracking. Optional.
`SENTRY_RELEASE`	Release identifier attached to Sentry events for this deployment. Optional.

Feature flags

Variable	Description
`FLAGSMITH_ENVIRONMENT_KEY`	Server-side Flagsmith environment key (secret — do not expose to clients). Optional.

Testing / CI

Variable	Description
`CI`	Set to any truthy value to disable the global rate limiter during test runs.
`PLAYWRIGHT`	Same effect as `CI`. Used to disable rate limiting during Playwright end-to-end tests.

Railway

Variable	Description
`RAILWAY_SERVICE__ABLEBASE_WEB_URL`	Injected automatically by Railway. Ablebase trusts this domain as a CORS and auth origin. No manual configuration needed.

Web (`packages/web`)

Variable	Description
`VITE_FLAGSMITH_ENVIRONMENT_ID`	Client-side Flagsmith environment ID. Safe to ship to the browser. Optional.