What is Dotenv to JSON Converter?

A .env (dotenv) file stores environment variables in KEY=VALUE format, commonly used in Node.js, Python, and other frameworks. This tool converts those variables into a JSON object, making it easy to use environment configuration in JSON-based tools, APIs, or deployment pipelines.

How to Use

Paste your .env file content in the left panel
Click Convert to generate the JSON output
Copy the JSON result or use it in your application
Comments (lines starting with #) and empty lines are automatically skipped
Quoted values have their surrounding quotes removed

Why Use This Tool?

Convert .env files for use in JSON-based config systems

Migrate environment variables to JSON configuration files

Validate .env file structure by checking the JSON output

Use in CI/CD pipelines that require JSON config format

Handles export prefix, comments, and quoted values

Tips & Best Practices

Lines starting with # are treated as comments and skipped
The 'export' prefix (e.g., export KEY=value) is automatically removed
Quoted values like KEY="value" will have quotes stripped
Never commit .env files with real secrets to version control
Use .env.example with placeholder values for sharing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .env file?

A .env file is a plain text file that stores environment variables in KEY=VALUE format. It's the standard way to configure applications in Node.js (via the dotenv package), Python, Ruby, and many other frameworks. Each line contains one variable assignment.

Why convert .env to JSON?

Some deployment platforms, config management tools, and APIs require JSON format. Converting .env to JSON also makes it easier to validate, diff, and process configuration programmatically. It's useful when migrating from dotenv to JSON-based config systems.

Are my secrets safe?

Yes. All processing happens in your browser. Your .env content is never sent to any server. However, always be careful when sharing .env files — use .env.example with placeholder values instead.

Does it support multiline values?

Yes. Multiline values wrapped in quotes are supported. The tool will join them back together in the JSON output.

What happens to comments?

Lines starting with # are treated as comments and excluded from the JSON output. Inline comments after values are included as part of the value (standard .env behavior).

Can I convert JSON back to .env?

Not with this tool, but you can easily do it manually: for each key-value pair in JSON, write KEY=value on a new line. We may add a reverse converter in the future.

Dotenv to JSON Converter