---
title: "Create environment variable"
method: POST
path: "/v1/environments/{environment_id}/variables"
tags: ["Environment variables"]
---

# Create environment variable

`POST /v1/environments/{environment_id}/variables`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.replicas.dev`
- URL: `https://api.replicas.dev/v1/environments/{environment_id}/variables`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Keys must start with a letter or underscore and contain only letters, digits, and underscores, and are unique per environment. Values are encrypted at rest. A fork can override any inherited key that is not `locked`.

## Path parameters

- `environment_id` string, required

## Headers

- `X-Replicas-Api-Version` '2026-10-07'

## Request body

- CreateEnvironmentVariableRequest: Request body for creating an environment variable.
  - `key` string, required: Variable name
  - `value` string, required: Variable value (encrypted at rest)
  - `locked` boolean: Blocks environments that inherit this variable from overriding it. Defaults to `false`. Admin only on team environments.

## Response `201`

Variable created

- EnvironmentVariableResponse
  - `environment_variable` EnvironmentVariable, required: An environment variable. Values are encrypted at rest and decrypted on read.
    - `id` string, uuid, required
    - `organization_id` string, uuid, required
    - `environment_id` string, uuid, required
    - `key` string, required: Variable name (e.g. `DATABASE_URL`)
    - `value` string, required: Variable value (returned in plaintext)
    - `locked` boolean, required: Whether environments that inherit this variable are blocked from overriding it
    - `created_at` string, date-time, required
    - `updated_at` string, date-time, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad request - Missing or invalid parameters
- `401`: Unauthorized - Invalid or missing API key
- `403`: Admin access required to change personal override policy
- `409`: Conflict - Resource already exists or operation conflicts with current state
- `500`: Internal server error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/replicas/apis/replicas-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/replicas/apis/replicas-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/replicas/apis/replicas-api/revisions/2703ac1c9cb7?raw)