Ask Claude to Generate a .env.example from Your Codebase's Actual Variable Usage

Your .env.example is probably outdated — missing variables someone added last month, placeholder values that don't explain what they're for, or entries for services you stopped using. Claude generates a fresh one from what your code actually uses.

"Search the codebase for every env() call and environment variable reference, 
then generate a .env.example with sensible placeholder values"

Claude reads every config file, env() call, and process.env reference, then produces a properly organized .env.example:

# App
APP_NAME="My App"
APP_ENV=local
APP_DEBUG=true
APP_URL=http://localhost:8000

# Database
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=myapp
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

# Mail
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=mailpit
MAIL_PORT=1025
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS="hello@example.com"

# Services
STRIPE_KEY=pk_test_...
STRIPE_SECRET=sk_test_...

You can customize the output:

# With descriptions for each variable
"Generate .env.example with a comment above each variable 
explaining what it does and where it's used"

# Grouped by feature
"Group the variables by feature — auth, mail, payments, storage — 
not by the config file they come from"

# With required markers
"Mark which variables are required vs optional, and which ones 
have defaults in the code"

# Compare against existing
"Compare my current .env.example against actual usage — 
find missing variables and remove unused ones"

Claude uses safe placeholder values — never real credentials. For services that need specific formats, it uses recognizable fakes:

• API keys → sk_test_your_key_here
• URLs → https://example.com
• Emails → hello@example.com
• Ports → actual default ports for each service

A good .env.example is the difference between a 5-minute setup and a 2-hour one — let Claude generate it from what your code actually needs.

via Claude Code