Reactive-Resume/docs/self-hosting/environment-variables.mdx

---
title: "Environment variables"
description: "Every environment variable a self-hosted Reactive Resume server reads: required settings, database, sign-in, email, storage, AI, Redis and feature flags."
---

Reactive Resume is configured entirely through environment variables. This page lists every variable the server reads,
grouped by what it controls. Only three are required: `APP_URL`, `DATABASE_URL` and `AUTH_SECRET`.

For a working setup, start with [Self-hosting with Docker](/self-hosting/docker) and come back here when you want to
turn on an optional feature.

## How values are read

- The server reads variables from its process environment. In a source checkout it also loads a `.env` file from the
  workspace root. A variable already set in the environment always wins over the file.
- An empty value counts as unset. `SMTP_HOST=""` is the same as not setting `SMTP_HOST` at all.
- Values are validated at startup. If one is missing or malformed, the server stops and names the variable in its logs.
- Boolean variables accept `true` or `false`. `1`/`0`, `yes`/`no` and `on`/`off` also work; any other value stops the
  server.
- Changes take effect after a restart. With Docker Compose, run `docker compose up -d` to recreate the container with
  the new environment.

<Note>
  PDFs are rendered by the app itself, so there is no printer service to configure. The v4 and early v5 variables
  `PRINTER_*`, `BROWSERLESS_*` and `CHROME_*` are no longer read; you can remove them.
</Note>

## Required

| Variable | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `APP_URL` | The public address people use to reach your instance, for example `https://resume.example.com`. Must start with `http://` or `https://`. Used for sign-in redirects, OAuth callbacks, links in emails, public resume links, social previews and upload URLs. With an `https://` address, session cookies are marked secure. |
| `DATABASE_URL` | PostgreSQL connection string: `postgresql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:5432/DATABASE`. Must start with `postgres://` or `postgresql://`. URL-encode special characters in the password. Add provider options such as `?sslmode=require` when your database needs them. |
| `AUTH_SECRET` | Secret used to sign sessions and encrypt sign-in data. Generate one with `openssl rand -hex 32`. |

<Warning>
  Keep `AUTH_SECRET` the same for the life of your instance. Changing it signs everyone out and makes data encrypted with
  it unreadable, including two-factor authentication secrets and the keys that sign API and MCP access tokens.
</Warning>

## Server

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `PORT` | `3000` | Port the production server listens on. The official image sets it to `3000`. If you change it, update your port mapping and health check to match. |
| `NODE_ENV` | `production` in the image | When `production`, the server listens on `PORT` and turns on rate limiting. Leave it as the image sets it. |
| `SERVER_PORT` | `3001` | Port the server listens on when `NODE_ENV` is not `production`, which is the local development setup. Ignored by the image. |
| `ROOT_RESUME_ID` | unset | Shows one public resume at `/` instead of the home page. See [Show one resume at your root address](/self-hosting/examples#show-one-resume-at-your-root-address). |

## Database

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `DATABASE_MIGRATION_URL` | `DATABASE_URL` | Separate connection string for the migrations that run at startup. Set it when `DATABASE_URL` goes through a connection pooler (such as PgBouncer or a provider's pooled endpoint) that cannot run migrations. |
| `DATABASE_POOL_MAX` | `10` | Maximum number of database connections each server process opens, from `1` to `100`. |
| `STRICT_SCHEMA_CHECK` | `false` | After migrations, the server compares the live schema with what the migrations expect. By default a mismatch is logged and the server keeps starting. Set `true` to refuse to start instead. |

## Sign-in

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `BETTER_AUTH_API_KEY` | unset | Connects the instance to the Better Auth dashboard service. Most instances leave it empty. |
| `BETTER_AUTH_INTERNAL_URL` | `http://127.0.0.1:$PORT` | Address the server uses to reach itself when it verifies OAuth access tokens from API and MCP clients. Set it only if the server cannot reach itself on `127.0.0.1` at `PORT`. |

### Social sign-in

Each provider appears on the sign-in page once both of its variables are set. See [Single sign-on](/self-hosting/sso)
for callback URLs and provider setup.

| Variables | Provider |
| --- | --- |
| `GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET` | Google |
| `GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET` | GitHub |
| `LINKEDIN_CLIENT_ID`, `LINKEDIN_CLIENT_SECRET` | LinkedIn |

### Custom OAuth or OpenID Connect provider

Use these to sign in through your own identity provider, such as Authentik, Keycloak or Authelia. The provider is
turned on when the client ID and secret are set together with either a discovery URL or all three manual endpoints.
Its callback URL is `APP_URL` followed by `/api/auth/callback/custom`.

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `OAUTH_PROVIDER_NAME` | `Custom OAuth` | Name shown on the sign-in button. |
| `OAUTH_CLIENT_ID` | unset | Client ID issued by your provider. |
| `OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET` | unset | Client secret issued by your provider. |
| `OAUTH_DISCOVERY_URL` | unset | The provider's `.well-known/openid-configuration` address. Preferred for OpenID Connect providers. |
| `OAUTH_AUTHORIZATION_URL` | unset | Authorization endpoint. Use with the next two instead of a discovery URL. |
| `OAUTH_TOKEN_URL` | unset | Token endpoint. |
| `OAUTH_USER_INFO_URL` | unset | User info endpoint. |
| `OAUTH_SCOPES` | `openid profile email` | Space-separated scopes to request. |

## Email

Reactive Resume sends email for account verification, password resets and email changes. Sending turns on only when
`SMTP_HOST`, `SMTP_USER`, `SMTP_PASS` and `SMTP_FROM` are all set. Until then, each email is written to the server log
instead, so you can still copy verification links from there.

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `SMTP_HOST` | unset | SMTP server hostname. |
| `SMTP_PORT` | `587` | SMTP server port. |
| `SMTP_USER` | unset | SMTP username. |
| `SMTP_PASS` | unset | SMTP password. |
| `SMTP_FROM` | unset | Sender address, for example `Reactive Resume <noreply@example.com>`. |
| `SMTP_SECURE` | `false` | `true` connects with TLS from the start (usually port `465`). `false` upgrades the connection with STARTTLS when the server offers it (usually port `587`). |

## Storage

Uploads such as profile pictures, files attached to applications and Assistant attachments are stored in one of three
backends.

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `STORAGE_BACKEND` | automatic | `local`, `s3` or `blob`. When unset: `s3` if `S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` and `S3_BUCKET` are all set; otherwise `blob` on Vercel and `local` everywhere else. |
| `LOCAL_STORAGE_PATH` | `/app/data` in the image | Folder for local uploads. Must be an absolute path. In a source checkout it defaults to `data/` in the repository. The server checks that it is writable at startup and refuses to start if it is not. |
| `S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID` | unset | Access key for S3 or an S3-compatible service. |
| `S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | unset | Secret key. |
| `S3_BUCKET` | unset | Bucket name. The bucket can stay private: the app reads objects with its own credentials and serves them itself. |
| `S3_REGION` | `us-east-1` | Bucket region. |
| `S3_ENDPOINT` | AWS | Endpoint for non-AWS services, for example `https://<account>.r2.cloudflarestorage.com` or `http://seaweedfs:8333`. |
| `S3_FORCE_PATH_STYLE` | `false` | `true` for path-style addresses (`https://endpoint/bucket`), which MinIO and SeaweedFS need. `false` for virtual-hosted addresses (`https://bucket.endpoint`), used by AWS S3 and Cloudflare R2. |
| `BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN` | unset | Vercel Blob token. On Vercel it is injected when you connect a Blob store. |
| `BLOB_STORE_ID` | unset | Vercel Blob store ID, when the token alone does not identify the store. |
| `DEPLOYMENT_NAMESPACE` | `default` | Prefix for Redis keys and Blob paths, so several instances can share one Redis or Blob store without mixing data. Letters, numbers, `.`, `_` and `-` only. On Vercel it is `production`, or the branch address on previews. |

<Note>
  Assistant attachments stay private with every backend. Local storage writes them in a separate namespace that
  public upload routes never serve. General file uploads allow 10 MB; Assistant attachments allow 25 MB per file.
</Note>

Switching backends does not move files that are already stored. Copy them yourself before you switch.

## AI and Redis

AI features are off until `ENCRYPTION_SECRET` is set. People then add their own provider and key in
**Settings → AI & developer**; see [Connecting an AI provider](/guides/using-ai).

| Variable | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `ENCRYPTION_SECRET` | unset | Encrypts the AI provider keys people save. At least 32 characters; generate one with `openssl rand -hex 32` and keep it different from `AUTH_SECRET`. A shorter value stops the server at startup. Without it, adding a provider fails and the Assistant says it isn't set up on this server. |
| `REDIS_URL` | unset | Redis connection string, `redis://` or `rediss://`. Optional. |
| `AI_TEST_TIMEOUT_MS` | `30000` | How long **Save and test** waits for a provider to answer, in milliseconds. Raise it for local models that load slowly on first use. |

<Warning>
  Changing `ENCRYPTION_SECRET` makes every saved provider key unreadable. People then need to enter their keys again.
</Warning>

Redis is optional on a single server. Without it, everything works, with these limits:

- An Assistant reply that is interrupted by a page reload can't be picked up again.
- Rate limits, **Stop** on a running Assistant reply, live updates between open tabs and the check that counts each
  public resume view once an hour are kept in the memory of one server process.

Set `REDIS_URL` when you run more than one server process, or when you want replies to survive a reload. When Redis is
configured, the [health endpoint](/self-hosting/docker#check-the-health-endpoint) also checks it.

Saved AI providers and Assistant conversations are kept in PostgreSQL, so they remain available without Redis.

## Feature flags

All flags default to `false`.

| Variable | When set to `true` |
| --- | --- |
| `FLAG_DISABLE_SIGNUPS` | No new accounts can be created, by email or by social sign-in. Existing accounts keep working. Create your own account first. |
| `FLAG_DISABLE_EMAIL_AUTH` | Turns off email and password sign-in and sign-up, along with forgot password and reset password. People sign in with social or custom OAuth providers only, so configure at least one first. |
| `FLAG_DISABLE_IMAGE_PROCESSING` | Stores uploaded pictures as they are. Normally pictures are resized to fit 800 × 800 pixels and saved as JPEG. Useful on low-powered hardware such as a Raspberry Pi. |
| `FLAG_DISABLE_API_RATE_LIMIT` | Turns off API and authentication rate limiting, including sign-in, sign-up, OAuth, requests made with API keys, PDF export and AI requests. Intended for test installations. |
| `FLAG_ALLOW_UNSAFE_AI_BASE_URL` | Lets AI providers use `http://` addresses and private or local network addresses, such as an Ollama server on your network. Without it, a provider's base URL must be public `https://`. |
| `FLAG_ALLOW_UNSAFE_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI` | Lets MCP and OAuth clients that register themselves use any redirect address, including custom schemes and private hosts. By default a redirect must go to your instance's own address, an `http://` loopback address (`localhost`, `127.0.0.1`, `::1`) or a public `https://` address. |

<Warning>
  Only turn on the two `FLAG_ALLOW_UNSAFE_*` flags on an instance where you trust every user. On a shared instance, an
  unsafe AI base URL lets users make your server call internal network addresses, and an unsafe redirect URI can be used
  for phishing or to steal access tokens.
</Warning>

## Deployment aliases

On Vercel (when `VERCEL=1`), the server fills in some variables from the ones Vercel's integrations inject. A value
you set yourself always wins.

| Variable | Filled from |
| --- | --- |
| `APP_URL` | `https://` plus `VERCEL_PROJECT_PRODUCTION_URL` in production, or `VERCEL_URL` on previews |
| `DATABASE_URL` | `POSTGRES_URL` |
| `DATABASE_MIGRATION_URL` | `DATABASE_URL_UNPOOLED`, then `POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING` |
| `REDIS_URL` | `KV_URL` |
| `STORAGE_BACKEND` | `blob`, unless S3 credentials are set |
| `DEPLOYMENT_NAMESPACE` | `production`, or `VERCEL_BRANCH_URL` on previews |

Vercel builds also read `ALLOW_PREVIEW_MIGRATIONS`: preview builds refuse to run migrations unless it is `true`, so a
preview can't change your production database by accident. See [Self-hosting on Vercel](/self-hosting/vercel).

## Development and tooling only

These appear in `.env.example` but are not used by a running server:

| Variable | Used by |
| --- | --- |
| `GOOGLE_CLOUD_API_KEY` | The script that regenerates the font list. |
| `CROWDIN_PROJECT_ID`, `CROWDIN_API_TOKEN` | Translation sync tooling. |
| `COVER_LETTER_TEST_DATABASE_URL`, `OAUTH_TEST_DATABASE_URL` | Test suites that need their own database. |

See [Development setup](/contributing/development) for working on the code.

## Related pages

- [Self-hosting with Docker](/self-hosting/docker): a complete setup with PostgreSQL.
- [Deployment examples](/self-hosting/examples): reverse proxies, S3 storage, Redis and local AI.
- [Single sign-on](/self-hosting/sso): provider setup for the sign-in variables.