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docs: document Railway → Doppler → local dev env var flow #622

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28 changes: 26 additions & 2 deletions CLAUDE.md
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Expand Up @@ -107,9 +107,33 @@ Cursor does not load this file automatically. Keep `.cursor/rules/project-contex

### Environment Variables

- Local dev: `.env.local` (gitignored).
- Deployed: Railway service environment variables.
**Flow: Railway → Doppler → Local Dev**

- **Railway** is the source of truth for all deployed environment variables (prod and staging).
- **Doppler** syncs from Railway. Each app has a Doppler project that mirrors the Railway service config.
- **Local dev** pulls from Doppler via `pnpm fetch-secrets`, which downloads into `.env` / `.env.local` (gitignored).

Doppler projects:

| App | Doppler Project |
|---|---|
| `apps/cms` | `forge-cms` |
| `apps/web` | `forge-web` |
| `apps/mobile` | `forge-mobile` |
| `apps/manager` | `forge-manager` |

**Adding new environment variables:**

1. Add to Railway first (the source of truth) using the Railway CLI or dashboard.
2. Doppler syncs automatically — the variable becomes available in the matching Doppler project.
3. Developers pull locally with `pnpm fetch-secrets` when they need it.
4. Non-secret config (e.g. cron schedules) with sensible defaults should use `process.env.VAR ?? "default"` so local dev works without fetching.

**Rules:**

- Never hardcode secrets. Never commit `.env` files.
- Use Railway CLI (`railway variables set VAR=value`) to add new variables in deployed environments.
- Only add variables to Doppler directly if they are local-dev-only and not needed in deployment.

## Roadmap

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