Examining .env.example: 19 Documented Variables vs 15 Reads

The .env.example file is typically the first document a new contributor opens and the last one anyone updates. PubTrivia maintains two such files, one for the Next.js app serving the marketing site and dashboard, and another for the WebSocket server handling live quiz nights. The repository's environment reads were audited against both files.

The root file documents 19 variables, but the app's own source code reads only 15 of them. This creates a gap in both directions consisting of four variables with four different reasons behind them, and only one of which is an actual mistake.

GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET is never read by the app because Supabase handles the OAuth exchange and the secret resides in the Supabase dashboard. It remains in the example file to alert setup contributors of its requirement. Similarly, SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN is read during the build process by the Sentry webpack plugin rather than application code, while NEXTJS_INTERNAL_URL is explicitly noted in capital letters to indicate it is read by the WebSocket server.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Conversely, NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY represents a genuine oversight left over from a previous pricing table approach. Although the Stripe element and logic are gone, the script tag continues loading on every layout page, making the example file the second artifact keeping a deleted design alive. Meanwhile, variables like NEXT_RUNTIME and NODE_ENV are provided automatically by the framework and should be omitted from example files to prevent manual configuration errors.