Cannot access env variables in Laravel

Question

I'm have an issue in accessing the env variables from env file in Laravel. The application is already hosted to one of shared hosting sites. When I printed the APP_KEY variable, it returns empty.

I tried to check if the env file exists by using file_exists function inside the index.php file in the public directory and it returns true yet I cannot access the env variables. Thus, resulting to error in cipher because of empty appkey.

This happened after this code block in the index.php file in the public directory:

$kernel = $app->make(Illuminate\Contracts\Http\Kernel::class);

$response = $kernel->handle(
    $request = Illuminate\Http\Request::capture()
);

When I print the $response->send(), it showed the cipher error.

I did the same thing in my local and it displayed the appkey value with no cipher error.

The files I used in the shared hosting site are the same files from my local. This is the first time I host the Laravel application. Maybe there are some things I missed?

Do you have any idea why this happening? Thanks.

@Option I think the key is already there, but he is not able yo fetch its value from env file — Mayank Pandeyz
– Mayank Pandeyz, Commented Oct 5, 2017 at 13:57
I generate another key in my local and pasted the same in the hosted application but still the same or maybe I'm doing it wrong? — G. Curs
– G. Curs, Commented Oct 5, 2017 at 13:58

Ehab Elzeny · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-23 03:13:22Z

10

try use

php artisan config:clear

answered Sep 23, 2018 at 3:13

Ehab Elzeny

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Otto · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-05 14:00:03Z

4

A possibility is that config caching is enabled. In that case, only env calls in the config/ dir return a value.

This is cryptically explained in the config docs https://laravel.com/docs/5.5/configuration

If you execute the config:cache command during your deployment process, you should be sure that you are only calling the env function from within your configuration files.

answered Oct 5, 2017 at 14:00

Otto

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3 Comments

G. Curs Over a year ago

So env values can be only called inside the config files?

Otto Over a year ago

correct, so make sure to put all the env values you need in config files so your application can use them. btw, you can run an php artisan config:clear and see if your env calls work then

Michael Cooper aka mikoop Over a year ago

thanks, this actually really helped me out. I had been looking for a solution all morning. it is now 3pm.

Rohit Agrohia · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-15 06:37:44Z

In Laravel 8 there have an issue, you cannot get the env variable direct assign env("URL")

To simplify:

Step 1.) Add your variable to your .env file, for example,

URL="http://google.com"

Step 2.) Create a new file inside of the config folder, with any name, for example,

config/getURL.php

Step 3.) Inside of this new file, I add an array being returned, containing that environment variable.

<?php return ['url' => env('URL') ];

Step 4.) Because I named it "getURL", my configuration 'namespace' is now an example. So now, in my controller I can access this variable with:

$url = \config('getURL.url');

Step 5.) Now you can we env variable in the controller

public function url() {return config('example.url');}

Finally, Clear the cache:

PHP artisan config:cache

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