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The ".env" file

Overview​

The .env file is used to store sensitive information such as API keys, database passwords, and so on. It should not be committed to your repository or shared with anyone else.

For this project, the .env file is used to :

  • Store the GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) which is used to query the GitHub API for the 'Open Source' section of the portfolio app. Without this, that section will not work.
  • Store the Google Analytics Tracking ID which is used to track visitors to the portfolio app. Without this, the Google Analytics section will not work.

Create the ".env" file​

This is a simple text file which should be created in the root directory of the project. It should be named .env (note the leading dot) and should contain keys as described below.

There is an example .env file in the root directory of the project which you can use.

Add the GitHub Personal Access Token​

The GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to query the GitHub API for the 'Open Source' section of the portfolio app. Without this, that section will not work. Define your PAT on GitHub (it is account wide, not per-repository) here. You should create a classic token, and it does not need any permissions. Copy the token and paste it into the .env file as follows:

VITE_GH_TOKEN=ghp_1234567890abcdefghij1234567890abcdefghij

Add the Google Analytics Tracking ID​

If you want to use Google Analytics to track visitors to your portfolio app, you will need to create a Google Analytics account and then create a new property. Once you have done this, you will be given a Tracking ID which you should copy and paste into the .env file as follows:

VITE_GA_ID=G-1234567890

This should be a V4 Tracking ID, not a V3 Tracking ID or lower, it will begin with a G- prefix.