Environment Variables

This application uses environment variables to manage database, authentication, API, and optional feature configurations. These variables must be placed in a .env file in the project root during local development or set as Secrets on the deployment platform (Vercel/VPS).

ERD Builder Pro supports two PostgreSQL database modes:

• Supabase (Production/Cloud): PostgreSQL via Supabase pooler, Supabase Auth (JWT) authentication, BigInt ID type.
• Local PostgreSQL (Development/Self-hosted): PostgreSQL running directly on local/server, local authentication (email + password), Int ID type.

For complete setup guides, see Database Setup.

Core (Required)

These variables are mandatory for the application to function.

• DATABASE_URL: PostgreSQL connection string.
  • Supabase: Use the pooler string (port 6543, with pgbouncer=true&connection_limit=10).
  • Local PostgreSQL: Use postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/database_name.
• PORT: Backend server port (default: 3000).

Authentication (Optional — Mode-Dependent)

The following variables are only required for Supabase mode. Not needed for Local PostgreSQL.

• SUPABASE_URL: Your Supabase project API URL.
• SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY: The service role key for server-side operations. Never expose this key to the frontend.

AI & Realtime Sync (Optional)

Variables with the VITE_ prefix are required for the AI Context, @mentions, and real-time synchronization features to work in the frontend.

• VITE_SUPABASE_URL: Same as SUPABASE_URL, required by the Supabase client in the browser.
• VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY: Anonymous (anon/public) key for public Supabase access.
• VITE_ENABLE_GUEST_MODE: Set to true to allow basic features without login (default: true).

Storage - Cloudflare R2 (Recommended)

It is recommended to store assets (images/files) permanently in Cloudflare R2.

• R2_ACCOUNT_ID: Your Cloudflare account ID.
• R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID: Access Key from the R2 API Token.
• R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: Secret Key from the R2 API Token.
• R2_BUCKET_NAME: The bucket name used.
• R2_PUBLIC_URL: Public URL or custom domain (CDN) to access files.

Feedback Integration (Optional)

Optional feature to send user feedback to the developer via a Telegram bot.

GitHub

• GITHUB_TOKEN: GitHub Personal Access Token.
• GITHUB_REPO_OWNER: Username or organization owning the repository.
• GITHUB_REPO_NAME: Target repository name.

Platform Requirements Matrix

Variable Name	Local / Dev	Vercel / VPS	Usage
DATABASE_URL	✅	✅	DB Connection
SUPABASE_URL	💡¹	💡¹	Supabase Auth
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY	💡¹	💡¹	Admin Auth
R2_ACCOUNT_ID	⭐️	⭐️	Cloudflare R2
R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID	⭐️	⭐️	Cloudflare R2
R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY	⭐️	⭐️	Cloudflare R2
R2_BUCKET_NAME	⭐️	⭐️	Cloudflare R2
R2_PUBLIC_URL	⭐️	⭐️	Cloudflare R2
VITE_SUPABASE_URL	💡²	💡²	AI & Realtime
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY	💡²	💡²	AI & Realtime
VITE_ENABLE_GUEST_MODE	💡	💡	Guest Mode
VITE_API_URL	❌	💡	Custom Backend URL

Note: ✅ Required | ⭐️ Recommended | 💡 Optional | ❌ Not Required ¹ Supabase mode only | ² Only if Supabase is used as backend auth

Setup Guide

1. Local (.env)

Copy the .env.example file to .env in the project root:

cp .env.example .env

Fill in the variable values according to each service provider's dashboard.

2. Deployment (Vercel / VPS)

• Enter the variables in the dashboard under Project Settings > Environment Variables.
• Make sure the VITE_ variables are checked for all environments (Production & Preview).
• If using Docker, pass the variables via an .env file or the -e flag when running docker run.

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For more information on database setup, see Database Setup.