.env.laravel -

DB_CONNECTION=mysql DB_HOST=127.0.0.1 DB_PORT=3306 DB_DATABASE=laravel DB_USERNAME=root DB_PASSWORD=

MAIL_MAILER=smtp MAIL_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io MAIL_PORT=2525 MAIL_USERNAME=null MAIL_PASSWORD=null MAIL_ENCRYPTION=null .env.laravel

php artisan config:clear php artisan cache:clear php artisan view:clear Use php artisan tinker : DB_CONNECTION=mysql DB_HOST=127

This article will cover everything you need to know: from the anatomy of the .env file, to the " .env.laravel " pattern (using example files and CI/CD pipelines), security best practices, and advanced multi-environment setups. Laravel, like many modern frameworks, follows the Twelve-Factor App methodology, which states that configuration should be stored in environment variables. Integrate with a secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager,

chown www-data:www-data .env chmod 640 .env This allows the web server to read but prevents other system users from viewing it. Integrate with a secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault) to rotate database passwords and API keys without downtime. 5. Backup .env Before Deployment A common " .env.laravel " pattern in deploy scripts:

.env .env.backup .env.production .env.*.local Always verify that .env is listed. To provide developers a template, create a file with dummy values: