Set the site's environment intentionally and inspect the resolved value before relying on environment-specific tools. Development behavior can include trace controls, extra browser output, and asset settings that are unsuitable for normal visitor traffic.<\/p>\n
Keep credentials outside shared documentation and committed examples. Give local installations their own database and hostname so an ordinary test cannot target the production site by accident.<\/p>\n
Exercise the release configuration in an acceptance environment before deploying it. Compare the resolved settings, enabled modules, and storage paths when behavior differs between environments.<\/p>\n
Distinguish global Zotonic configuration, Erlang runtime configuration, site configuration files, and module settings stored for a site. Similar setting names can exist at different layers.<\/p>\n
Use Check the implementation of a setting to see when it is read. Some values are consulted on each request; others are used at process or site startup.<\/p>\n Use the command suited to the question:<\/p>\n For runtime values, use the relevant model or configuration API in the running context. Do not share unredacted configuration output: database passwords and other secrets may be present. See Find the configuration layer to change<\/a> and Change a runtime setting deliberately<\/a>.<\/p>"}},"category_id":{"id":317,"is_a":["meta","category"],"name":"developerguide","title":"Developer guide","uri":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/developerguide"},"content_group_id":{"id":339,"is_a":["meta","content_group"],"name":"default_content_group","title":{"_type":"trans","tr":{"en":"Default Content Group"}},"uri":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/default_content_group"},"created":"2020-05-30T05:47:23Z","creator_id":{"id":336,"is_a":["person","robot"],"name":"gitbot","title":"Git","uri":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/336"},"doc_editorial_bundle":true,"doc_editorial_edges":{"hasreference":[2933,2990,2992],"subject":[2554,2566,2603,2605]},"github_url":"https:\/\/github.com\/zotonic\/zotonic\/tree\/master\/doc\/developer-guide\/deployment\/env.rst","is_authoritative":true,"is_dependent":false,"is_featured":false,"is_protected":false,"is_published":true,"is_unfindable":false,"language":["en"],"modified":"2026-10-07T11:13:56Z","modifier_id":{"id":1,"is_a":["person"],"name":"administrator","title":"Site Administrator","uri":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/1"},"name":"doc_developerguide_deployment_env","pivot_geocode":null,"pivot_location_lat":null,"pivot_location_lng":null,"privacy":0,"publication_end":"9999-06-01T00:00:00Z","publication_start":"2022-02-15T10:01:29Z","slug":"keep-development-and-production-settings-distinct","summary":{"_type":"trans","tr":{"en":"Keep development and production settings distinct."}},"title":{"_type":"trans","tr":{"en":"Keep development and production settings distinct"}},"title_slug":{"_type":"trans","tr":{"en":"keep-development-and-production-settings-distinct"}},"tz":"UTC","uri":null,"version":36,"visible_for":0},"uri":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/1481","uri_template":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/id\/:id","websub":{"hub":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/.zotonic\/websub","topic":"https:\/\/zotonic.com\/.zotonic\/websub\/topic\/1481"}},"status":"ok"}bin\/zotonic configfiles<\/code> and bin\/zotonic siteconfigfiles garden<\/code> to locate the files that the command resolves. Use the corresponding configuration display commands to inspect the values, taking care when sharing output that may include credentials.<\/p>\nInspect global and site configuration<\/h2>\n
bin\/zotonic configfiles\nbin\/zotonic configtest\nbin\/zotonic siteconfigfiles garden\nbin\/zotonic siteconfig garden\n<\/code><\/pre>\nconfigfiles<\/code> and siteconfigfiles<\/code> locate configuration sources. configtest<\/code> checks global configuration loading. siteconfig<\/code> prints the site's file-based configuration; it is not a complete dump of every database-backed module setting.<\/p>\nsetconfig<\/code> changes global runtime Zotonic settings without writing configuration files.<\/p>\n