Environment Variables

Required Variables

These variables are required for the application to function:

Database

Variable	Description	Example
`DATABASE_URL`	PostgreSQL connection string (Neon recommended)	`postgresql://user:pass@ep-xxx.neon.tech/db?sslmode=require`

Authentication

Variable	Description	Example
`BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`	Session encryption key (min 32 chars)	`your-secret-key-here-min-32-chars`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL`	Local development URL	`http://localhost:3000`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PROD_URL`	Production URL	`https://capsule-ide.vercel.app`

AI Services

Variable	Description	Example
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Anthropic Claude API key	`sk-ant-...`

Sandboxing

Variable	Description	Example
`E2B_API_KEY`	E2B sandbox API key	`e2b_...`
`E2B_SANDBOX_TIMEOUT_MS`	Sandbox timeout in milliseconds	`3600000` (1 hour)

Real-time Communication

Variable	Description	Example
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PUSHER_APP_KEY`	Pusher app key (public)	`abc123...`
`PUSHER_APP_ID`	Pusher app ID	`123456`
`PUSHER_APP_SECRET`	Pusher app secret	`xyz789...`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PUSHER_CLUSTER`	Pusher cluster region	`us2`

Optional Variables

These variables enable additional features:

Google OAuth

Variable	Description	Example
`GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`	Google OAuth client ID	`...apps.googleusercontent.com`
`GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET`	Google OAuth client secret	`GOCSPX-...`

Polar Billing

Variable	Description	Example
`POLAR_ACCESS_TOKEN`	Polar.sh API access token	`polar_...`
`POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET`	Webhook signature verification	`whsec_...`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_POLAR_JUNIOR_PRODUCT_ID`	Junior tier product ID	`prod_...`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_POLAR_MIDDLE_PRODUCT_ID`	Middle tier product ID	`prod_...`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_POLAR_SENIOR_PRODUCT_ID`	Senior tier product ID	`prod_...`

Additional AI Services

Variable	Description	Example
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI API key (for DALL-E, Whisper)	`sk-...`
`DEEPGRAM_API_KEY`	Deepgram API key (live transcription)	`dg_...`

Voice Recording

Variable	Description	Default
`NEXT_PUBLIC_REALTIME_VOICE`	Use live Deepgram transcription	`true`

Background Jobs

Variable	Description	Example
`INNGEST_EVENT_KEY`	Inngest event publishing key	`...`
`INNGEST_SIGNING_KEY`	Inngest webhook signing key	`signkey-...`

GitHub Integration

Variable	Description	Example
`GITHUB_TOKEN`	Personal access token for Git operations	`ghp_...`
`GITHUB_OWNER`	Default GitHub organization/user	`capsule-this`

Expo/EAS

Variable	Description	Example
`EXPO_TOKEN`	Expo access token for builds	`expo_...`

Convex Integration

Variable	Description	Example
`CONVEX_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID`	Convex OAuth client ID	`...`
`CONVEX_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET`	Convex OAuth client secret	`...`
`CONVEX_TEAM_SCOPED_TOKEN`	Team API token for provisioning	`...`
`CONVEX_TEAM_SLUG`	Convex team identifier	`your-team`

Development Options

Variable	Description	Default
`LOCAL_DEPLOYMENT_MODE`	Enable local deployment mode	`false`
`LOCAL_EXPO_APP_PATH`	Path to local Expo app	-
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DISABLE_REFOCUS_CHECK`	Disable auto health checks	`false`
`CHAT_HISTORY_LIMIT`	Max messages to load from history	`10`

Vercel Configuration

When deploying to Vercel, add environment variables in your project settings:

Go to your project in the Vercel Dashboard
Navigate to Settings → Environment Variables
Add each variable for the appropriate environments (Production, Preview, Development)

Automatic Variables

These are automatically set by Vercel and don't need manual configuration:

Variable	Description
`VERCEL`	Set to `1` when running on Vercel
`VERCEL_ENV`	`production`, `preview`, or `development`
`VERCEL_URL`	Auto-generated deployment URL
`BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN`	Vercel Blob access token (when Blob is enabled)

Storage Integration

When you add Vercel Blob storage to your project:

Go to Storage tab in your project
Click Create Database → Blob
The BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN is automatically injected

Local Development

Create a .env.local file in the project root:

# Copy the example file
cp .env.example .env.local

# Edit with your values
nano .env.local

Minimal Local Setup

For basic local development, you need at minimum:

# Database
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..."

# Auth
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="at-least-32-characters-long-secret"
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL="http://localhost:3000"

# AI
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# Sandbox
E2B_API_KEY="e2b_..."

# Pusher (for real-time updates)
NEXT_PUBLIC_PUSHER_APP_KEY="..."
PUSHER_APP_ID="..."
PUSHER_APP_SECRET="..."
NEXT_PUBLIC_PUSHER_CLUSTER="..."

Security Notes

Never commit secrets - Use .env.local (gitignored) for local development
Use environment-specific values - Different API keys for dev/staging/prod
Rotate secrets regularly - Especially after team member changes
Limit access - Only grant necessary permissions for each API key
Monitor usage - Set up alerts for unusual API usage

Troubleshooting

Missing Environment Variables

If you see errors about missing variables:

Check Vercel Dashboard → Settings → Environment Variables
Ensure variables are set for the correct environment (Production/Preview/Development)
Redeploy after adding new variables

Variable Not Available in Browser

Variables must be prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ to be available in client-side code:

# Server-only (API routes, server components)
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="..."

# Available in browser
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL="..."

Vercel Blob Not Working

Ensure Blob storage is created in Vercel Dashboard
Check that the project is linked to the storage
Verify BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN is present in environment

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