: Use import.meta.env.VITE_API_KEY (note that Vite requires a VITE_ prefix for client-side variables). 3. File Priority (The Hierarchy)

The primary purpose of .env.local is to create a that should never be shared across a team or deployed to production.

It is important to understand that .env.local is not a magical standard part of the operating system. It relies on a library (like dotenv in Node.js) or the build tool (like Webpack, Vite, or Next.js).

When a new teammate joins, they simply run cp .env.example .env.local and fill in their own credentials.

You might want to enable verbose logging or debug mode on your machine without affecting the team’s default configuration.