.env to JSON Converter
Convert .env files to JSON using dotenv rules: export prefix, comments, single and double quotes, escapes and multiline values. Free, processed locally.
Runs entirely in your browser. Your data is never uploaded.
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View AllWhat is ENV to JSON?
Turn a .env file into a JSON object of variable names and values. The parser understands the syntax used by dotenv and most frameworks: comments, an optional export prefix, quoted values, escape sequences and values that span several lines.
How to use ENV to JSON
- Paste .env into the .env input box, or use Load sample or Open file.
- Choose the JSON Indentation.
- The JSON output updates as you type; use Copy or Download.
Example
export DB_HOST=localhost PASS="p@ss \"x\"" # c
{
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"PASS": "p@ss \"x\""
} When to use ENV to JSON
Use it to inspect environment files, convert them for tools that take JSON, or check how a tricky quoted value is parsed. Avoid pasting production secrets into any online tool on shared machines – this one runs locally, but the text stays in your browser tab.
How ENV to JSON works
Each entry is KEY=value (or KEY: value), optionally prefixed with export. Unquoted values are trimmed and cut at a # comment. Single-quoted and backtick-quoted values are literal; double-quoted values decode \n, \r, \t, \" and \\. Quoted values may span multiple lines, and an unclosed quote is reported with its line number. Variable references like ${HOME} are not expanded, and every value stays a string.
Common Use Cases
- Convert .env settings into JSON for a cloud console or secrets manager
- Debug how a multiline private key in .env is parsed
- Compare two environment files as JSON
- Generate JSON config for a test runner from .env
Security Note
Values are parsed in your browser and never uploaded, but .env files often contain secrets: clear the input when you are done on shared computers.
FAQs
Is ${VAR} expansion supported?
No, values are returned exactly as written. Expansion depends on the tool (dotenv-expand, Docker Compose) and is left to it.
Why is everything a string?
Environment variables are always strings; converting them to numbers or booleans is up to your application.
Where do inline comments start?
In unquoted values, at a # that follows whitespace. A # inside quotes or without a preceding space (like a URL fragment) is part of the value.