Environment Variables Reference

Complete reference for all environment variables in nself-chat

Source file: /Users/admin/Sites/nself-chat/.env.example

Quick Start
Environment
Backend Services
Platform Template
White-Label Branding
Theme Configuration
Feature Flags - Core Messaging
Feature Flags - Rich Content
Feature Flags - Advanced
Feature Flags - Integrations
Feature Flags - Moderation
UI Configuration
Limits
Authentication Providers
Authentication Settings
Notifications
SEO & Social
Legal
nself CLI Integration
Server-Side Only
Development Only

Quick Start

# Copy example to local config
cp .env.example .env.local

# Edit with your values
nano .env.local

# Start development
pnpm dev

Environment

Core Environment Settings

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_ENV`	string	`development`	Environment mode: `development`, `staging`, `production`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_USE_DEV_AUTH`	boolean	`true`	Enable development authentication (test users, auto-login)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL`	string	`http://localhost:3000`	Base URL for the application

# Example
NEXT_PUBLIC_ENV=development
NEXT_PUBLIC_USE_DEV_AUTH=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

Backend Services

Nhost / Backend URLs

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_SUBDOMAIN`	string	`localhost`	Nhost project subdomain
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_REGION`	string	`local`	Nhost region
`NEXT_PUBLIC_GRAPHQL_URL`	string	`http://api.localhost/v1/graphql`	GraphQL endpoint (Hasura)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL`	string	`ws://api.localhost/v1/graphql`	WebSocket endpoint
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_URL`	string	`http://auth.localhost/v1/auth`	Authentication service
`NEXT_PUBLIC_STORAGE_URL`	string	`http://storage.localhost/v1/storage`	File storage (MinIO)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FUNCTIONS_URL`	string	`http://functions.localhost/v1/functions`	Serverless functions
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SOCKET_URL`	string	`ws://realtime.localhost`	Socket.io server
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SEARCH_URL`	string	`http://search.localhost`	Search service (MeiliSearch)

# Local development (via nself CLI)
NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_SUBDOMAIN=localhost
NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_REGION=local
NEXT_PUBLIC_GRAPHQL_URL=http://api.localhost/v1/graphql
NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL=ws://api.localhost/v1/graphql
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_URL=http://auth.localhost/v1/auth
NEXT_PUBLIC_STORAGE_URL=http://storage.localhost/v1/storage
NEXT_PUBLIC_FUNCTIONS_URL=http://functions.localhost/v1/functions
NEXT_PUBLIC_SOCKET_URL=ws://realtime.localhost
NEXT_PUBLIC_SEARCH_URL=http://search.localhost

Platform Template

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_TEMPLATE`	string	`default`	UI template: `default`, `slack`, `discord`, `telegram`, `whatsapp`

# Use Discord-style UI
NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_TEMPLATE=discord

White-Label Branding

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_NAME`	string	`nchat`	Application name
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_TAGLINE`	string	`Modern Team Communication`	Application tagline
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_LOGO`	string	`/logo.svg`	Logo image URL
`NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_FAVICON`	string	`/favicon.ico`	Favicon URL
`NEXT_PUBLIC_COMPANY_NAME`	string	`nself`	Company name (footer)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_COMPANY_URL`	string	`https://nself.org`	Company website
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPPORT_EMAIL`	string	`[email protected]`	Support email

# Custom branding
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_NAME=MyChat
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_TAGLINE=Team Communication Made Easy
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_LOGO=/custom-logo.svg
NEXT_PUBLIC_COMPANY_NAME=My Company

Theme Configuration

Color Mode

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_MODE`	string	`dark`	Default color mode: `light`, `dark`, `system`

Colors

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_PRIMARY`	hex	`#00D4FF`	Primary brand color
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_SECONDARY`	hex	`#6366F1`	Secondary color
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_ACCENT`	hex	`#10B981`	Accent color
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_BACKGROUND`	hex	(commented)	Background override
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_SURFACE`	hex	(commented)	Surface override
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_TEXT`	hex	(commented)	Text color override
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_MUTED`	hex	(commented)	Muted text override
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_BORDER`	hex	(commented)	Border color override

UI Settings

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_RADIUS`	string	`md`	Border radius: `none`, `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `xl`, `full`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_FONT`	string	`inter`	Font family: `inter`, `system`, `sf-pro`, `segoe`, `roboto`, `open-sans`

# Custom theme
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_MODE=dark
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_PRIMARY=#6366F1
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_SECONDARY=#8B5CF6
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_ACCENT=#22C55E
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_RADIUS=lg
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_FONT=inter

Feature Flags - Core Messaging

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_PUBLIC_CHANNELS`	boolean	`true`	Public channels
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_PRIVATE_CHANNELS`	boolean	`true`	Private (invite-only) channels
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_DIRECT_MESSAGES`	boolean	`true`	1-on-1 direct messages
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_GROUP_DMS`	boolean	`true`	Group DMs (2-8 people)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_THREADS`	boolean	`true`	Threaded replies
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_REACTIONS`	boolean	`true`	Message reactions (emoji)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MENTIONS`	boolean	`true`	User @mentions
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_CHANNEL_MENTIONS`	boolean	`true`	Channel #mentions

# Disable threads and reactions
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_THREADS=false
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_REACTIONS=false

Feature Flags - Rich Content

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_FILE_UPLOADS`	boolean	`true`	File uploads
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_VOICE_MESSAGES`	boolean	`false`	Voice recordings
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_VIDEO_CALLS`	boolean	`false`	Video calling (WebRTC)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_SCREEN_SHARE`	boolean	`false`	Screen sharing
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_CODE_BLOCKS`	boolean	`true`	Syntax-highlighted code
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MARKDOWN`	boolean	`true`	Markdown formatting
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_LINK_PREVIEWS`	boolean	`true`	URL unfurling
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_CUSTOM_EMOJIS`	boolean	`true`	Custom workspace emojis
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_GIF_PICKER`	boolean	`true`	GIF picker integration

# Enable voice messages
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_VOICE_MESSAGES=true

Feature Flags - Advanced

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MESSAGE_SEARCH`	boolean	`true`	Message search
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_USER_PRESENCE`	boolean	`true`	Online/away/offline status
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_TYPING_INDICATORS`	boolean	`true`	"User is typing..."
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_READ_RECEIPTS`	boolean	`true`	Read state tracking
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MESSAGE_SCHEDULING`	boolean	`false`	Schedule messages
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MESSAGE_PINS`	boolean	`true`	Pin important messages
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_BOOKMARKS`	boolean	`true`	Save messages
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_CHANNEL_CATEGORIES`	boolean	`true`	Organize channels
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_GUEST_ACCESS`	boolean	`false`	External guest users
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_INVITES`	boolean	`true`	User invitations

Feature Flags - Integrations

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_SLACK_INTEGRATION`	boolean	`false`	Slack import/sync
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_GITHUB_INTEGRATION`	boolean	`false`	GitHub notifications
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_JIRA_INTEGRATION`	boolean	`false`	Jira integration
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_GOOGLE_DRIVE`	boolean	`false`	Google Drive sharing
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_WEBHOOKS`	boolean	`true`	Incoming webhooks
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_BOTS`	boolean	`true`	Bot accounts
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_SLASH_COMMANDS`	boolean	`true`	Slash commands

Feature Flags - Moderation

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_AUTO_MODERATION`	boolean	`false`	Auto content moderation
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_PROFANITY_FILTER`	boolean	`false`	Profanity filtering
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_SPAM_DETECTION`	boolean	`false`	Spam detection
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_MESSAGE_REPORTING`	boolean	`true`	User content reporting
`NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_AUDIT_LOGS`	boolean	`true`	Admin audit logs

UI Configuration

Sidebar

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SIDEBAR_POSITION`	string	`left`	Position: `left`, `right`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SIDEBAR_DEFAULT_STATE`	string	`expanded`	State: `expanded`, `collapsed`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SIDEBAR_WIDTH`	number	`260`	Width in pixels (200-400)

Messages

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MESSAGE_DENSITY`	string	`comfortable`	Density: `compact`, `comfortable`, `spacious`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MESSAGE_GROUPING`	boolean	`true`	Group consecutive messages

Avatars

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AVATAR_STYLE`	string	`circle`	Style: `circle`, `rounded`, `square`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AVATAR_SIZE`	string	`md`	Size: `sm`, `md`, `lg`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SHOW_PRESENCE_DOTS`	boolean	`true`	Presence dots on avatars

Display

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SHOW_CHANNEL_ICONS`	boolean	`true`	Channel icons
`NEXT_PUBLIC_SHOW_MEMBER_COUNT`	boolean	`true`	Member count in header
`NEXT_PUBLIC_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT`	string	`relative`	Format: `relative`, `absolute`, `both`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DATE_FORMAT`	string	`MMM d, yyyy`	Date format (date-fns)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_TIME_FORMAT`	string	`h:mm a`	Time format (date-fns)

# Compact Discord-like UI
NEXT_PUBLIC_MESSAGE_DENSITY=compact
NEXT_PUBLIC_SIDEBAR_WIDTH=240
NEXT_PUBLIC_AVATAR_SIZE=sm

Limits

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH`	number	`4000`	Max message characters
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_FILE_SIZE`	number	`104857600`	Max file size (bytes) - 100MB
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_ATTACHMENTS_PER_MESSAGE`	number	`10`	Max attachments per message
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MESSAGE_EDIT_WINDOW`	number	`300000`	Edit window (ms) - 5 minutes
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_CHANNELS_PER_USER`	number	`500`	Max channels per user
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_DMS_PER_USER`	number	`1000`	Max DM conversations
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_GROUP_DM_MEMBERS`	number	`8`	Max group DM members
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_PINS_PER_CHANNEL`	number	`50`	Max pins per channel
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_BOOKMARKS_PER_USER`	number	`100`	Max bookmarks per user
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MESSAGE_PAGE_SIZE`	number	`50`	Messages per page

# Increase limits for enterprise
NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH=8000
NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_FILE_SIZE=524288000  # 500MB
NEXT_PUBLIC_MAX_ATTACHMENTS_PER_MESSAGE=20

Authentication Providers

Basic Authentication

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_EMAIL_PASSWORD`	boolean	`true`	Email/password auth
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_MAGIC_LINKS`	boolean	`false`	Passwordless email links

Social OAuth

Variable	Type	Default	Server Secrets
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_GOOGLE`	boolean	`false`	`GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_GITHUB`	boolean	`false`	`GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`, `GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_DISCORD`	boolean	`false`	`DISCORD_CLIENT_ID`, `DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_SLACK`	boolean	`false`	`SLACK_CLIENT_ID`, `SLACK_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_MICROSOFT`	boolean	`false`	`MICROSOFT_CLIENT_ID`, `MICROSOFT_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_APPLE`	boolean	`false`	`APPLE_CLIENT_ID`, `APPLE_CLIENT_SECRET`

Enterprise Authentication

Variable	Type	Default	Server Secrets
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_IDME`	boolean	`false`	`IDME_CLIENT_ID`, `IDME_CLIENT_SECRET`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_SAML`	boolean	`false`	`SAML_ENTRY_POINT`, `SAML_ISSUER`, `SAML_CERT`

# Enable Google and GitHub OAuth
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_GOOGLE=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_GITHUB=true
# Server-side secrets (not prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_)
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-google-client-secret
GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=your-github-client-id
GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=your-github-client-secret

Authentication Settings

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_ACCESS_MODE`	string	`allow-all`	Access mode (see below)
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_REQUIRE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION`	boolean	`false`	Require email verification
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_ALLOWED_DOMAINS`	string	(empty)	Comma-separated domains
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_REQUIRE_APPROVAL`	boolean	`false`	Require admin approval
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_DEFAULT_ROLE`	string	`member`	Default role: `member`, `guest`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_DEFAULT_CHANNELS`	string	`general,announcements`	Default channels to join

Access Modes

Mode	Description
`allow-all`	Open registration
`verified-only`	Email verification required
`domain-restricted`	Specific email domains only
`admin-only`	Manual approval required

# Corporate setup with domain restriction
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_ACCESS_MODE=domain-restricted
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_ALLOWED_DOMAINS=company.com,subsidiary.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_REQUIRE_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=true

Notifications

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NOTIFICATIONS_DESKTOP`	boolean	`true`	Desktop notifications
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NOTIFICATIONS_SOUND`	boolean	`true`	Sound notifications
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NOTIFICATIONS_EMAIL`	boolean	`false`	Email notifications
`NEXT_PUBLIC_NOTIFICATIONS_PUSH`	boolean	`false`	Mobile push notifications

SEO & Social

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_META_TITLE`	string	(app name)	Meta title
`NEXT_PUBLIC_META_DESCRIPTION`	string	`Modern team communication platform`	Meta description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_OG_IMAGE`	string	(empty)	Open Graph image
`NEXT_PUBLIC_TWITTER_HANDLE`	string	(empty)	Twitter handle
`NEXT_PUBLIC_GA_ID`	string	(empty)	Google Analytics ID
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PLAUSIBLE_DOMAIN`	string	(empty)	Plausible domain

# SEO configuration
NEXT_PUBLIC_META_DESCRIPTION=Team communication for modern teams
NEXT_PUBLIC_OG_IMAGE=/og-image.png
NEXT_PUBLIC_TWITTER_HANDLE=mychatapp
NEXT_PUBLIC_GA_ID=G-XXXXXXXXXX

Legal

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_PRIVACY_URL`	string	`/privacy`	Privacy policy URL
`NEXT_PUBLIC_TERMS_URL`	string	`/terms`	Terms of service URL
`NEXT_PUBLIC_COOKIE_POLICY_URL`	string	(empty)	Cookie policy URL

nself CLI Integration

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NSELF_CLI_VERSION`	string	`0.4.8`	nself CLI version
`NSELF_PLUGINS_ENABLED`	string	(empty)	Enabled plugins

Server-Side Only

Important: These variables must NOT be prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ as they contain secrets.

Database & Services

Variable	Description
`HASURA_ADMIN_SECRET`	Hasura admin secret
`JWT_SECRET`	JWT signing secret
`DATABASE_URL`	PostgreSQL connection string
`REDIS_URL`	Redis connection string

External Services

Variable	Description
`SENTRY_DSN`	Sentry error tracking
`SENDGRID_API_KEY`	SendGrid email API

AWS/S3 (alternative to MinIO)

Variable	Description
`AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`	AWS access key
`AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`	AWS secret key
`AWS_S3_BUCKET`	S3 bucket name
`AWS_S3_REGION`	S3 region

# Server-side secrets
HASURA_ADMIN_SECRET=your-admin-secret
JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/nchat
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
SENTRY_DSN=https://[email protected]/xxx

Development Only

Variable	Type	Default	Description
`NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_DEVTOOLS`	boolean	`true`	React Query devtools
`NEXT_PUBLIC_DEBUG`	boolean	`false`	Debug logging
`NEXT_PUBLIC_MOCK_API`	boolean	`false`	Mock API responses

# Enable all dev features
NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_DEVTOOLS=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_DEBUG=true

Complete Example (.env.local)

# =============================================
# nself-chat Local Development Configuration
# =============================================

# Environment
NEXT_PUBLIC_ENV=development
NEXT_PUBLIC_USE_DEV_AUTH=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

# Backend Services (via nself CLI)
NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_SUBDOMAIN=localhost
NEXT_PUBLIC_NHOST_REGION=local
NEXT_PUBLIC_GRAPHQL_URL=http://api.localhost/v1/graphql
NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL=ws://api.localhost/v1/graphql
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_URL=http://auth.localhost/v1/auth
NEXT_PUBLIC_STORAGE_URL=http://storage.localhost/v1/storage

# Branding
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_NAME=nchat
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_TAGLINE=Modern Team Communication

# Theme
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_MODE=dark
NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME_PRIMARY=#00D4FF

# Core Features
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_PUBLIC_CHANNELS=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_PRIVATE_CHANNELS=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_DIRECT_MESSAGES=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_THREADS=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_REACTIONS=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_FILE_UPLOADS=true

# Authentication
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_EMAIL_PASSWORD=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_AUTH_ACCESS_MODE=allow-all

# Development
NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_DEVTOOLS=true

This document covers all environment variables available in nself-chat. See .env.example for the complete template.