DevOps Tool

Env Tracker

Track environment variables across your entire codebase. Find missing vars before they crash production and unused vars cluttering your .env files.

Install

Get the CLI Tool

Run the env tracker locally as an MCP server, or try it online below.

npx @clinetools/env-tracker
Requires Node.js 18+
  • Cross-references .env files with source code usage
  • 6 ecosystems — JS/TS, Python, Ruby, Go, Shell, Docker
  • Finds missing, unused, and example-only vars
  • Detects defaults and required vs optional vars
  • Zero config — just run with npx
Tutorial

How to Use It

Three ways to track your env vars — pick the one that fits your workflow.

1

Try Online

Explore the interactive demo below to see env tracking on sample projects.

↓ Jump to interactive demo
2

Use via CLI

Run as a local MCP server and connect any MCP-compatible client.

npx @clinetools/env-tracker
3

Add to Cline / Claude Code

Add to your MCP settings for instant env tracking from your AI assistant.

"env-tracker": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@clinetools/env-tracker"] }

MCP Client Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "env-tracker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@clinetools/env-tracker"]
    }
  }
}

Example: Find Missing Env Vars

// Prompt to your AI agent:
"Scan my project for missing env vars and
generate a complete .env.example file"

// The agent calls:
track_env_vars({ path: "." })

// Finds 3 vars used in code but not in .env
// Generates .env.example with all required vars
Live Demo

Try It Online

Select a sample project to see how env vars are tracked across files.

Select a project above

Env Var Analysis

Learn

Why Env Tracking Matters

Environment variable mismatches are one of the most common causes of deployment failures.

Missing Vars = Silent Crashes

A missing DATABASE_URL doesn't fail at build time. It fails when the first user hits your API — at 2am, on a holiday. Env tracking catches these before deploy.

Secret Sprawl

Without tracking, env vars accumulate across files, Docker configs, CI/CD, and README snippets. Teams lose track of which vars are active, which are deprecated, and which contain real secrets.

Onboarding Gaps

New developers clone the repo, copy .env.example, and miss 3 vars that were added after the example was last updated. Env tracking keeps .env.example in sync automatically.

Drift Between Environments

Staging has REDIS_URL, production doesn't. .env.local has STRIPE_KEY, CI doesn't. Tracking env vars across all environments catches drift before it causes outages.

Default Value Safety

process.env.PORT || 3000 is fine. process.env.API_KEY || "" is dangerous — it silently runs with no auth. Tracking which vars have defaults shows where failures will be silent.

Need Env Var Management at Scale?

Our Pro plan includes multi-environment sync, secret rotation alerts, and .env.example auto-generation.

View Plans