After deploying a Node.js application on Hostinger, you can edit existing environment variables or add new ones at any time. Changes to environment variables require a redeployment to take effect.
You can access environment variable settings from two locations in the control panel:
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Website Dashboard
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Deployments section
Option 1 — Edit from the Website Dashboard
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Open the Website Dashboard for your Node.js application.
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Click Settings & Redeploy.
You will be redirected to the redeployment settings page.
Option 2 — Edit from the Deployments section
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Open your Website Dashboard.
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Navigate to the Deployments section.
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Click Settings & Redeploy.
This will also open the redeployment settings page.
How to edit or add environment variables
Once you are in the Settings & Redeploy flow:
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Navigate to the Environment variables section.
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Edit existing variables or add new ones as needed.
Review all environment variables to ensure values are correct.
Rebuilding applications
After modifying environment variables:
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Confirm the changes.
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Proceed with rebuilding the application.
The application must be rebuilt for updated environment variables to be applied.
Important note about ZIP-based deployments
The redeployment process differs depending on how your application was originally deployed.
If your application was deployed using a ZIP file, your last uploaded file is automatically saved and pre-selected under Source files → Use previous files on the redeployment settings page.
When updating environment variables only — with no changes to your app’s code or content — you can proceed with the saved file without re-uploading. Select Upload new files only if you also need to deploy updated code at the same time.
When to update environment variables
You may need to update environment variables when:
- Adding new configuration values
- Updating database credentials
- Rotating API keys or secrets
- Changing environment-specific settings