Dotenv to Shell
Paste a .env file to convert it into export-prefixed shell statements you can source — with safe quoting for spaces, $, backticks and quotes — or reverse shell exports back into a .env. Supports posix/bash and fish. Runs entirely in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
About this tool
Dotenv to Shell converts a .env file into export-prefixed shell statements you
can paste into a script or eval — and reverses shell exports back into a plain
.env. It reads the same syntax your app's dotenv loader does (KEY=VALUE lines,
# comments, blank lines, single- and double-quoted values, inline comments, and
an optional export prefix) and re-emits each variable with shell-safe
quoting, so special characters survive being sourced.
The point is the quoting. A naive export KEY=$value breaks the moment a value
contains a space, a #, a $, a backtick, or a quote. This tool single-quotes
every value that needs it and escapes embedded single quotes the POSIX way
('\''), so $, backticks and # stay literal instead of being expanded or
truncated by the shell.
Example — .env → shell (posix, auto quoting):
Input:
# database
export DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
GREETING=hello world
API_TOKEN=s3cr3t$val
Output:
# database
export DB_HOST=localhost
export DB_PORT=5432
export GREETING='hello world'
export API_TOKEN='s3cr3t$val'
Clean values (localhost, 5432) stay unquoted; hello world and s3cr3t$val
are single-quoted so the space and the $ are preserved exactly.
Options:
- Direction —
.env → shell(default) orshell → .envto reverse. The reverse parser understandsexport KEY=…, bareKEY=…, fishset -gx KEY …, and cshsetenv KEY …, and rebuilds a normal.env. - Shell dialect —
posix/bashemitexport KEY=value(also fine for zsh/sh);fishemitsset -gx KEY valuewith fish's own quoting rules. - Quoting —
autoleaves safe values bare and quotes the rest;singlealways single-quotes for a uniform, copy-safe result.
Full-line comments and blank lines are preserved so your file's structure carries
over. Everything runs locally in your browser via WebAssembly — your .env is
never uploaded.
FAQ
Is my .env file uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly, so your file never leaves your machine — it's safe to paste real secrets. Copy the result out when you're done; nothing is stored or sent.
Why single quotes instead of double quotes?
Single quotes make the shell treat the value literally — $, backticks and
\ are not interpreted, so a token like s3cr3t$val or p@ss w#rd survives
intact. Double quotes would let the shell expand $var and run `command`,
which silently corrupts secrets. Embedded single quotes are handled with the
standard '\'' splice, so even a value like it's fine round-trips correctly.
What does "auto" quoting do versus "single"?
Auto (the default) leaves a value unquoted when it's made only of safe
characters (letters, digits, and _@%+=:,./-) and single-quotes anything else —
so the output stays readable. Single always wraps every value in single
quotes, which is handy when you want a uniform, unambiguous result. Either way,
special characters are always kept literal.
Can it convert shell exports back into a .env file?
Yes — set Direction to shell → .env. It parses export KEY=value, bare
KEY=value, fish set -gx KEY value, and csh setenv KEY value statements,
un-quotes each value (including the POSIX '\'' splice), and writes a plain
.env file, double-quoting values only when they contain spaces or special
characters.
How does fish output differ?
fish doesn't use export; it uses set -gx NAME value for a global exported
variable. Choosing the fish dialect emits that form and applies fish's own
single-quote escaping (only \ and ' are escaped), which differs from POSIX.
Pick fish if you'll source the result in a config.fish or fish script.
What happens to comments, blank lines and invalid names?
Full-line # comments and blank lines are passed through unchanged (both .env
and shell use #), and an inline # comment after an unquoted value is stripped.
A key that isn't a valid shell variable name (e.g. starting with a digit, or
containing a dash) can't be exported, so it's replaced with a
# skipped "…": not a valid shell variable name note instead of emitting broken
syntax.
Is csh/tcsh supported?
Only as input for the reverse direction — the shell → .env parser reads
setenv KEY value. csh is not offered as an output dialect: its single quotes
can't contain newlines and ! still triggers history expansion even when quoted,
so byte-safe csh output can't be guaranteed. Use posix/bash or fish for output.
Developer & Automation Access
Run it from the terminal
Same engine as this page, headless — via the gizza CLI:
gizza tool dotenv-to-shell '# database
export DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
GREETING=hello world
API_TOKEN=s3cr3t$val'New to the CLI? Get gizza →
Open it by URL
Pre-fill and auto-run this tool with query parameters — the names match the API/CLI:
https://gizza.ai/tools/dotenv-to-shell/?input=%23%20database%0Aexport%20DB_HOST%3Dlocalhost%0ADB_PORT%3D5432%0AGREETING%3Dhello%20world%0AAPI_TOKEN%3Ds3cr3t%24val&direction=to-shell&shell=posix"e=autoMachine-readable descriptor: tool.json — title + parameters JSON Schema for agents.