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Env Variable Naming Reference & Glossary

Check a variable name against naming conventions, learn its meaning, and browse a glossary of common keys.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

About Env Variable Naming Reference & Glossary

Good names are the cheapest documentation a config file can have. The Env Variable Naming Reference & Glossary checks a name against the conventions that make env files portable and self-explanatory, then tells you what it means.

Type a variable (or a KEY=value line) and the tool reports style verdicts, splits the name into domain/modifier/property, guesses its category, flags secret-looking keys, and looks it up in a glossary of common variables. With empty input it becomes a full reference table of the most frequent keys across major stacks.

Features

  • Style verdict: SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE check.
  • Segment split: domain, modifier, property.
  • Category guess: database, secret, logging, cloud…
  • Secret detection: KEY/TOKEN/PASSWORD flags.
  • Glossary lookup: meaning of common keys.
  • Full reference: browse all 30+ entries.
  • Copy/download: share the analysis.
  • Private: fully client-side.

How to Use

  1. Type a variable name, a KEY=value line, or a partial term to search.
  2. Or leave it empty to browse the whole glossary.
  3. Click Analyze. Verdicts, category, and glossary match appear.
  4. Copy the analysis for a naming review.

Examples

Example 1 — Review a PR. A teammate adds api-key; the tool shows the hyphen and lowercase violations before the PR is merged.

Example 2 — Name a new service. An engineer verifies PAYMENT_GATEWAY_API_KEY follows the convention and reads the STRIPE_SECRET_KEY glossary entry for a template.

Example 3 — Audit existing files. A security review runs every key through the tool to find secret-named keys and generic names.

Example 4 — Onboarding. New developers browse the empty-input glossary to learn what DATABASE_URL, JWT_SECRET, and ALLOWED_HOSTS mean.

Example 5 — Migration. Renaming keys across a codebase, the analysis output keeps the mapping reviewable.

Benefits

  • Consistent names: convention checks built in.
  • Meaning at a glance: glossary of common keys.
  • Secret-aware: flags before a leak.
  • Self-service: no docs to search.
  • Private: nothing uploaded.
  • Free: use on every review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this tool do?
It analyzes an environment variable name: checks style (SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE), guesses a category, flags secret-looking names, and looks the name up in a glossary of common keys. Leave the input empty to browse the full glossary.
What naming style should I use?
SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE: UPPERCASE letters, digits, and underscores, never starting with a digit, with a domain prefix (DB_ or DATABASE_ rather than bare DATABASE_URL generic segments).
How are secrets detected?
Names containing KEY, SECRET, TOKEN, PASSWORD, or PASSWD are flagged so the value is never committed. The tool also warns when a value is present in the input.
Is this a database of real keys?
It is a curated glossary of the most common keys seen in Node, Django, Laravel, Rails, and front-end projects, used as a reference for naming your own.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The glossary and analysis logic ship in the page; everything is client-side.