¶Installation

Getting set up with DotEnv takes two things:

1. A web account at dotenv.cloud, where you create projects and manage secrets in the dashboard.
2. The DotEnv CLI, a single binary that pulls those secrets onto your machine and into CI.

This page covers both. If you'd rather see the whole flow end to end in one go, jump to the Quick Start.

¶Create your web account

1. Open dotenv.cloud and register an account (or log in if you already have one).
2. Verify your email. Until you do, most of the dashboard stays locked.
3. Sign in to land on your dashboard. A first organization is set up for you automatically — it sits at the top of the hierarchy and owns your projects, members, and billing.

That's all you need to start creating projects and adding secrets in the browser. For a tour of the dashboard, see the Web Dashboard Overview.

¶Install the CLI

The DotEnv CLI ships as a single self-contained binary named dotenv. Pick the method that fits your platform.

¶macOS and Linux

Install script (recommended). Detects your OS and architecture, downloads the matching binary, and installs it:

curl -sSL https://dotenv.cloud/install.sh | bash

Homebrew (macOS). If you use Homebrew, tap the DotEnv formula and install:

brew tap dotenvcloud/tap
brew install dotenv-cli

The Homebrew formula is named dotenv-cli; the installed binary is still dotenv.

¶Windows

Scoop:

scoop bucket add dotenv https://github.com/dotenvcloud/scoop-bucket
scoop install dotenv-cli

Or the PowerShell install script:

irm https://dotenv.cloud/install.ps1 | iex

¶From source (any platform with Go)

If you have a Go toolchain installed, you can build and install from source:

go install github.com/dotenvcloud/cli@latest

The binary is placed in your $(go env GOPATH)/bin directory — make sure that directory is on your PATH.

For the complete reference — including nightly builds, self-updating, and shell completion — see the CLI Installation guide.

¶Verify the install

Confirm the binary is on your PATH and check the version:

dotenv version

If you see version details, you're ready to go. If dotenv is not found, make sure the install directory (/usr/local/bin, ~/.local/bin, or your Go bin directory) is on your PATH, then open a new terminal and try again.

¶Next steps

• Quick Start — go from zero to a populated .env in about five minutes.
• Create your first project — set up the project, target, and environment hierarchy.
• CLI Authentication — log the CLI in to your account.