Environments

Environments help you manage different sets of variables for various deployment contexts. Switch seamlessly between development, staging, and production without modifying your requests.

Quick Start

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Creating Environments

To create an environment:

1. Click + Add Environment in the environments panel
2. Enter a name (required) and optionally a description
3. Click Create

To duplicate an environment:

1. Right-click on an environment
2. Select Duplicate
3. A copy is created with " Copy" suffix, with all variables copied

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Managing Variables

Adding Variables

Variable Types

Default Variables

• Value is visible
• Syncs across devices
• Use for URLs, versions, non-sensitive data

baseUrl = "https://api.staging.example.com"
apiVersion = "v2"
timeout = "5000"

Secret Variables

• Value is masked (••••••)
• Encrypted when syncing
• Use for tokens, passwords, API keys

apiKey = "sk-prod-abc123xyz789"
authToken = "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs..."

Two-Value System

Environment variables support two layers of values:

Initial Value (Default)

• Set manually in the environment editor
• Syncs across all devices (encrypted if secret)
• Used as the base value

Current Value (Script Override)

• Set by scripts using nova.environment.set()
• Stays local on your device (never syncs)
• Takes priority over the initial value when present
• Persists across app restarts (local only)

Effective Value = Current Value (if set) or Initial Value

Example:

// In a post-response script
const data = nova.response.json();
// Sets the current value (local only, overrides initial value)
nova.environment.set("accessToken", data.token);

The script-set current value takes precedence until cleared. The initial value remains unchanged and continues to sync.

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Switching Environments

Activating an Environment

You can have one active environment per workspace:

• Use the environment dropdown in the top bar
• Select an environment to activate it, or No Environment to deactivate
• Active environment variables are used in all requests

What happens:

• Previous active environment is deselected
• New environment variables become available
• All requests instantly use the new values
• Works offline (local operation)

Using Variables

Reference environment variables in any request field:

In URL:

{{baseUrl}}/api/{{apiVersion}}/users

In Headers:

Authorization: Bearer {{authToken}}
X-API-Key: {{apiKey}}

In Body:

{
  "environment": "{{env}}",
  "timestamp": "{{timestamp}}"
}

In Parameters:

?api_key={{apiKey}}&version={{apiVersion}}

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Variable Priority

When the same variable name exists at multiple levels, the highest-priority scope wins:

1. Runtime variables — set by nova.variable.set(), exist only during the script chain
2. Request variables — defined in the request's Variables tab
3. Folder variables — from the immediate folder, then parent folders up to the root
4. Collection variables — defined at the collection level
5. Environment variables — from the active environment (lowest priority)

Example:

Environment: baseUrl = "https://api.prod.com"
Collection: baseUrl = "https://api.staging.com"
Request uses: "https://api.staging.com"

The collection variable overrides the environment variable.

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Right-Click Options

Right-clicking an environment shows these options:

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Deleting Environments

To delete an environment:

1. Right-click the environment
2. Select Delete
3. Confirm the deletion

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Offline Mode

Environments work fully offline with automatic sync.

Creating Offline

• Create environments and variables without network
• Changes are marked as pending sync
• Automatically syncs when reconnected

Editing Offline

• Make any changes offline
• Changes saved locally
• Sync happens automatically when online

Deleting Offline

• Delete environments offline
• Deletions sync automatically when you reconnect

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Multi-Device Sync

What Syncs

Environment Properties:

• Name
• Description

Variable Properties:

• Key
• Value (encrypted for secrets)
• Type (default/secret)
• Enabled status
• Display order

What Doesn't Sync

• Active environment: Each user has their own active environment
• Current values: Script-set overrides stay local

Conflict Resolution

If the same environment is edited on multiple devices simultaneously:

• The server version wins automatically for conflicting fields
• Changes are merged where possible
• Name conflicts are resolved by the server with automatic renaming

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Use Cases

Development Environment

baseUrl = "http://localhost:3000"
apiKey = "dev-key-123"
debug = "true"
timeout = "10000"

Staging Environment

baseUrl = "https://api-staging.example.com"
apiKey = "staging-key-xyz"
debug = "true"
timeout = "5000"

Production Environment

baseUrl = "https://api.example.com"
apiKey = "prod-key-abc-secret"
debug = "false"
timeout = "3000"

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Common Variables

API Configuration:

baseUrl
apiVersion
apiPath

Authentication:

apiKey
accessToken
refreshToken
clientId
clientSecret

Request Settings:

timeout
retryCount
debug

User Context:

userId
tenantId
workspaceId

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Permissions

Environment permissions are governed by your workspace role — there are no per-environment permissions.

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Tips

• One environment per stage: Create separate environments for dev, staging, and production
• Descriptive names: "Production - US East" is clearer than "Prod 1"
• Document variables: Use the description field to explain what each variable does
• Secret sensitive data: Mark API keys and tokens as secret
• Pre-define variables: Always create variables in the editor before using nova.environment.set() in scripts
• Works offline: Create and edit environments offline, they'll sync when reconnected
• Use in scripts: Access variables in pre-request scripts to generate dynamic values
• Team coordination: Communicate when adding new required variables

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Next Steps