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Environment variables

Introduction​

Environment variables let you pass configuration values, secrets, or feature flags into your QIT test environment without hardcoding them in your tests or code. By injecting environment variables at runtime, you can easily adjust behavior, supply API keys, toggle features, or run tests under different conditions.

Passing environment variables​

You can set environment variables directly via the CLI using the --env option:

qit run:e2e your-extension --env FOO=FOO_VALUE

You can specify multiple variables:

qit run:e2e your-extension --env FOO=FOO_VALUE --env BAR=BAR_VALUE

Using an environment file​

If you have many environment variables or prefer keeping them organized in a file, use the --env_file option:

qit run:e2e your-extension --env_file .env

In the .env file:

FOO=FOO_VALUE
BAR=BAR_VALUE

All variables defined in the .env file are loaded into the environment during the test run.

Reading variables in tests and code​

Within tests​

In your Playwright tests (or bootstrap scripts), you can access environment variables using process.env:

console.log(process.env.FOO);

Use this to conditionally adjust test logic, endpoints, or credentials without changing test code.

Within PHP code​

Your plugin code can read environment variables via getenv:

$value = getenv("FOO");

This allows your extension to adapt based on values you pass at test runtime, such as using a staging API endpoint instead of production.

QIT Runtime​

The @woocommerce/qit-runtime package provides typed access to all QIT environment variables:

import qit from '@woocommerce/qit-runtime';

qit.env.siteUrl       // QIT_SITE_URL
qit.env.db.host       // QIT_DB_HOST
qit.env.wp.username   // QIT_WP_USERNAME
qit.env.sut.slug      // QIT_SUT_SLUG

See the full API reference for all available properties.

Best practices​

  • Keep secrets out of code: Store API keys, tokens, or other sensitive data in environment variables rather than committing them to your repository.
  • Use .env files for collaboration: By versioning a template .env.example (without sensitive values), team members can create their own .env files, ensuring consistency.
  • Combine with config files: Use environment variables alongside qit.json config files to handle dynamic values that should not be hardcoded.

Overriding variables​

If a variable is set in both the CLI and an .env file, the CLI argument takes precedence. This lets you temporarily override values without editing the file.

Example scenario​

  1. Create a .env file:
API_URL=https://staging.api.example.com
API_KEY=12345
  1. Run tests:
qit run:e2e your-extension --env_file .env

Your tests and plugin code can now reference API_URL and API_KEY from process.env or getenv, enabling staging endpoint tests without changing code.