Environments

When you call forge create, we automatically create three environments for you:

• development
• staging
• production

Environments are where you deploy your app. Once an app is running in an environment, you can install it from that environment on to an Atlassian site with forge install. This process is documented in our app tutorials.

We recommend using the development environment for testing your changes, staging for a stable version of your app, and production as the version of your app that’s ready for use.

By default, the CLI will run commands for the development environment unless you specify another with the --environment flag.

While your app is deployed to development, your app title will have the suffix (DEVELOPMENT). Similarly, while your app is deployed to staging, it will have the suffix (STAGING). Once you deploy your app to production, your app title will no longer have any suffix.

Environment restrictions

When using the staging environment, you can't use the forge tunnel command. You'll need to redeploy your app using forge deploy each time you make a code change.

When using the staging and development environments, you won't be able to view the scopes defined for the APIs included in your Forge app. You'll need to deploy your app to the production environment for scopes to display. See View Forge app permissions for more details.

When using the production environment, you can't use the forge tunnel or forge logs commands. To debug issues, you’ll need to redeploy your affected code to the staging or development environments where you have access to debugging tools. For apps installed on sites you don’t have access to, you’ll need to ask the app user to download the logs for your app and send them to you.

Environment variables

Environment variables are key-value pairs you can manage via the Forge CLI variables commands. Each of your variables has separate values corresponding to the different environments your app is deployed to (development, staging, production). As with other Forge CLI commands, the Forge CLI variables commands act on the development environment unless another environment is specified explicitly.

• List your environment variables by running:

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  forge variables list
  

• Set a variable with key MY_KEY and value my-value by running:

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  forge variables set MY_KEY my-value
  

• Set an encrypted variable by providing the --encrypt option by running:

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  forge variables set --encrypt MY_KEY my-value
  

  Encrypted values are protected from forge variables list output. However, they are passed to your app's environment as clear text.

• Unset a variable with key MY_KEY by running:

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  forge variables unset MY_KEY
  

• Read a variable with key MY_KEY in your code as below:

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  process.env.MY_KEY
  

• The same variable can be set in the production environment through the --environment option.

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  forge variables set --environment production --encrypt MY_KEY my-value
  

Forge tunnel

When you're using the forge tunnel command, you must prefix environment variables with FORGE_USER_VAR_.

Set the value of MY_KEY by prefixing FORGE_USER_VAR_ to the variable name, then running the following command in your terminal:

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export FORGE_USER_VAR_MY_KEY=test

You do not need to change variable assignment when using environment variables with forge tunnel, the variable is still accessed with MY_KEY.

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const myVar = process.env.MY_KEY // MY_KEY will be "test"

Default environments

When you run the forge deploy command for the first time without specifying an environment, you are prompted to set your default development environment. Setting a default environment lets you work on an app without impacting the work of other contributors.

When setting the name of your default development environment, make sure not to use any sensitive information. You can change your default environment and its name at any time using forge settings.

By default, the CLI will run commands for your default development environment unless you specify another with the --environment flag.

Custom environments

You can create and manage additional development environments with forge environments. Additional development environments allow multiple contributors to tunnel and deploy to their own development environment simultaneously.

To create a new development environment:

1. Run the following command in your CLI:

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   forge environments create
   

2. Enter a name for your environment.

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   Create a new development environment.
   
   ? Enter a name for your environment: my-dev-environment
   
   Creating environment...
   
   Created DEV my-dev-environment
   
   You can now tunnel or deploy to this new development environment.
   

Versions

When you run forge deploy, a new version is created in the Forge environment you specified (or in your default environment). See App versions for more information.