.env.vault.local

You create .env.vault.local to temporarily change values.

# .env.vault.local (In .gitignore)
# Override the production DB to point to your local Docker container
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost:5432/my_local_db"
The standard Dotenv Vault file loading order (highest to lowest priority) is:

.env.vault.local sits at the top of the priority chain, meaning its values override all other vault files.
Your team shares an encrypted .env.vault containing production and staging secrets.
# .env.vault (Committed to Git)
# This is encrypted. You can't read it directly.
DOTENV_VAULT="vault-v1..."

The traditional .env file is a liability sitting in plain text on your machine. It works, but it requires discipline. You have to manage permissions, ensure your editor doesn't autosave to a temporary public location, and manually sync keys with your team via insecure channels like Slack or email.
The .env.vault methodology flips this model. Instead of ignoring your environment files, you encrypt them. You commit the encrypted blob (.env.vault) to source control. This allows you to version control your secrets safely. If you lose your laptop, the secrets remain safe; if a hacker clones your repo, they get gibberish.
But this creates a friction point: What about the decryption key?
To read .env.vault.local, the application needs a DOTENV_KEY. However, unlike the main .env.vault, the .local variant is often tied to a development-specific key stored in your shell profile (e.g., ~/.zshrc).
# In your .bashrc or .zshrc
export DOTENV_KEY_LOCAL="dotenv://:key_1234@..."
When you run your app, the library automatically:

.env.vault.local

You create .env.vault.local to temporarily change values.

# .env.vault.local (In .gitignore) # Override the production DB to point to your local Docker container DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost:5432/my_local_db" The standard Dotenv Vault file loading order (highest to lowest priority) is: .env.vault.local sits at the top of the priority chain, meaning its values override all other vault files. .env.vault.local Your team shares an encrypted .env.vault containing production and staging secrets. # .env.vault (Committed to Git) # This is encrypted. You can't read it directly. DOTENV_VAULT="vault-v1..." The traditional .env file is a liability sitting in plain text on your machine. It works, but it requires discipline. You have to manage permissions, ensure your editor doesn't autosave to a temporary public location, and manually sync keys with your team via insecure channels like Slack or email. You create The .env.vault methodology flips this model. Instead of ignoring your environment files, you encrypt them. You commit the encrypted blob (.env.vault) to source control. This allows you to version control your secrets safely. If you lose your laptop, the secrets remain safe; if a hacker clones your repo, they get gibberish. But this creates a friction point: What about the decryption key? The traditional To read .env.vault.local, the application needs a DOTENV_KEY. However, unlike the main .env.vault, the .local variant is often tied to a development-specific key stored in your shell profile (e.g., ~/.zshrc). # In your .bashrc or .zshrc export DOTENV_KEY_LOCAL="dotenv://:key_1234@..." When you run your app, the library automatically: