[Bug]: Confusing environment variable configuration

[jeanniton-mnr]

Error Message and Logs

I just want to bring to your attention the missing documentation or the confusion between a project environment, a resource's production and preview environment variables.

I only set the environment variables under the preview deployment environment variables fields; I was deploying an app in / as preview.

However, my application / node.js process would not access my environment variables, and the container of my app would constantly restart because it would fail the health-check.

After long hours of debugging, I realized that Coolify never pulled / set the environment variables that I defined under the preview deployment environment variables, but it would pull / set the environment variables when i defined them, upper, under the production environment variables.

Then, they were accessible in my node.js application (through process.env.VARIABLE_NAME).

I originally thought that the preview environment variables section was my thing since this was how I name the environment I was working on for this project.

So in order to prevent someone else experiencing the same confusion / issue, I am bringing this to your attention.

Please reference the recorded video for visual explanation / extra clarification:

blured_520859039-d61764fd-0682-4ac0-b478-89d3047f9eb7_blurred.mp4

Thank you !

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a project
2. Create an new environment name preview for this project
3. Create a new application / resource, in my case a NODE.JS API, and that read an environment variable during runtime
4. Define this environment variable under Deployment preview environment variables
5. Deploy this application
6. It would not be able to reference any environment variable under the preview environment.

Example Repository URL

No response

Coolify Version

v4.0.0-beta.451

Are you using Coolify Cloud?

No (self-hosted)

Operating System and Version (self-hosted)

No response

Additional Information

No response

[coderabbitai]

Duplicate Detection

ℹ️ This issue may be similar to #3079.

Related Issues

• [Bug]: Environment variables exposed in deployment debug logs #7235: [Bug]: Environment variables exposed in deployment debug logs
• [Bug]: Environment (secrets) variables for Preview Deployments not working #3079: [Bug]: Environment (secrets) variables for Preview Deployments not working

Suggested Issue Assignees

• Gavin-Hofer
• Shreyaan-autonomix

Actions

• 📝 Generate an implementation plan for this issue

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[djsisson]

i guess the env tab, should probably say

Branch (BranchName) -> env && PR (PullRequest) -> env

Or the simpler

ENV && (PullRequest) ENV

that would make it clearer

[jeanniton-mnr]

i guess the env tab, should probably say

Branch (BranchName) -> env && PR (PullRequest) -> env

Or the simpler

ENV && (PullRequest) ENV

that would make it clearer

Do you know what the Preview Deployments Environment Variables are for?

Why don't I just assign one branch per project environment?

PS: It seems possible to create a project with multiple environments, not just two, based on what I observe when creating a new project. And production environment is created by default.

[djsisson]

You can turn on preview deployments, then when using something like github, when a pr is opened a new build is made for that pr, with the pr env, since you won't be using your prod env.

The env tab naming has nothing to do with the project environment naming

Each project can have multiple environments, inside each environment will be prod and preview env for normal deployment and pr deployment.

[jeanniton-mnr]

This development practice is new to me. I am unfamiliar with testing / previewing git PR, and this information can be added to Coolify documentation.

Thank you
@djsisson

[Cinzya]

Hey, we have a dedicated repo for the Docs, feel free to share your feedback about the documentation there: https://github.com/coollabsio/coolify-docs

I am unfamiliar with testing / previewing git PR, and this information can be added to Coolify documentation.

We have that already in the docs, but we are already working on re-writing all the Git related pages: https://coolify.io/docs/applications/index#preview-deployments