Environment Variables#

Securely store configuration values, API keys, and secrets for use in your scripts.

Overview#

Environment Variables in Automan allow you to:

• Store sensitive data like API keys and tokens securely
• Configure scripts without hardcoding values
• Change configuration without modifying script code
• Share common values across multiple scripts

Variables are stored securely in Atlassian’s infrastructure and are accessible to all scripts through process.env.

Accessing Environment Variables#

1. Navigate to Apps > Automan
2. Click on the Environment tab

Creating a Variable#

1. Click Add Variable button
2. Enter the variable details:
   • Name - Variable name (used to access it in scripts)
   • Value - The value to store
   • Secret - Check to mask the value in the UI
3. Click Save

Naming Rules#

Variable names must follow these rules:

• Start with a letter (a-z, A-Z) or underscore (_)
• Contain only letters, numbers, and underscores
• Maximum 64 characters
• Case-sensitive (API_KEY and api_key are different)

Valid Names#

• API_KEY
• webhook_url
• _internal_setting
• MyVariable123

Invalid Names#

• 123variable (can’t start with number)
• my-variable (no hyphens)
• my variable (no spaces)

Secret Variables#

When you mark a variable as secret:

• The value is hidden in the UI (shown as •••••)
• The value is still fully accessible in scripts
• Use for API keys, tokens, passwords, and other sensitive data

Using Variables in Scripts#

Access environment variables through process.env:

// Access a variable
const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY;

// Check if variable exists
if (!process.env.WEBHOOK_URL) {
  console.log("WEBHOOK_URL not configured");
  return;
}

// Use in API calls
const webhookUrl = process.env.WEBHOOK_URL;
console.log("Sending to webhook:", webhookUrl);

Example: External API Integration#

const apiKey = process.env.EXTERNAL_SERVICE_API_KEY;
const baseUrl = process.env.EXTERNAL_SERVICE_URL;

if (!apiKey || !baseUrl) {
  throw new Error("Missing required environment variables");
}

// Use the configuration
console.log(`Connecting to ${baseUrl}...`);

Example: Configurable Behavior#

// Use environment variables for configuration
const maxRetries = parseInt(process.env.MAX_RETRIES || "3", 10);
const defaultAssignee = process.env.DEFAULT_ASSIGNEE_ID;
const debugMode = process.env.DEBUG_MODE === "true";

if (debugMode) {
  console.log("Debug mode enabled");
  console.log("Max retries:", maxRetries);
}

Editing a Variable#

1. Click on the variable row in the list
2. Modify the value (for secret variables, enter the new value)
3. Click Save

Note: For secret variables, the current value is not shown. You must enter the complete new value.

Deleting a Variable#

1. Click the delete icon (trash) on the variable row
2. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deletion is immediate and permanent. Scripts using this variable will fail or have undefined behavior until you add the variable back.

Common Use Cases#

API Keys and Tokens#

// Store external service credentials
const slackToken = process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN;
const githubToken = process.env.GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN;
const serviceApiKey = process.env.MY_SERVICE_API_KEY;

User Account IDs#

// Store Atlassian account IDs for auto-assignment
const teamLeadId = process.env.TEAM_LEAD_ACCOUNT_ID;
const qaLeadId = process.env.QA_LEAD_ACCOUNT_ID;
const defaultReviewerId = process.env.DEFAULT_REVIEWER_ID;

// Use in auto-assignment
await requestJira(
  route`/rest/api/3/issue/${issueKey}`,
  {
    method: "PUT",
    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      fields: {
        assignee: { accountId: teamLeadId }
      }
    })
  }
);

Webhook URLs#

// Store webhook endpoints
const slackWebhook = process.env.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL;
const teamsWebhook = process.env.TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL;
const customWebhook = process.env.NOTIFICATION_WEBHOOK;

Feature Flags#

// Toggle features without code changes
const enableAutoAssign = process.env.ENABLE_AUTO_ASSIGN === "true";
const enableNotifications = process.env.ENABLE_NOTIFICATIONS !== "false";

if (enableAutoAssign) {
  // Auto-assignment logic
}

if (enableNotifications) {
  // Notification logic
}

Custom Field IDs#

// Store custom field IDs (they vary by Jira instance)
const sprintFieldId = process.env.SPRINT_FIELD_ID; // e.g., "customfield_10010"
const storyPointsFieldId = process.env.STORY_POINTS_FIELD_ID;
const epicLinkFieldId = process.env.EPIC_LINK_FIELD_ID;

// Use in API calls
const issue = await response.json();
const sprint = issue.fields[sprintFieldId];
const points = issue.fields[storyPointsFieldId];

Best Practices#

Naming Conventions#

Use clear, descriptive names with consistent prefixes:

# External services
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN

# User IDs
TEAM_LEAD_ACCOUNT_ID
QA_LEAD_ACCOUNT_ID

# Custom field IDs
CUSTOM_FIELD_SPRINT
CUSTOM_FIELD_STORY_POINTS

# Feature flags
FEATURE_AUTO_ASSIGN
FEATURE_NOTIFICATIONS
DEBUG_MODE

Security#

1. Always use secret for API keys, tokens, and passwords
2. Never log secrets - avoid console.log(process.env.API_KEY)
3. Validate presence - check variables exist before using
4. Rotate credentials - update secrets periodically

Error Handling#

// Always validate required variables
function requireEnv(name) {
  const value = process.env[name];
  if (!value) {
    throw new Error(`Missing required environment variable: ${name}`);
  }
  return value;
}

// Usage
const apiKey = requireEnv("API_KEY");
const webhookUrl = requireEnv("WEBHOOK_URL");

Default Values#

// Provide sensible defaults for optional configuration
const maxItems = parseInt(process.env.MAX_ITEMS || "100", 10);
const timeoutMs = parseInt(process.env.TIMEOUT_MS || "30000", 10);
const defaultLabel = process.env.DEFAULT_LABEL || "auto-created";

Troubleshooting#

Variable Not Available#

1. Check the variable name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
2. Verify the variable exists in the Environment tab
3. Ensure there are no typos in process.env.VARIABLE_NAME

Value is Undefined#

// Debug missing variables
console.log("Available env vars:", Object.keys(process.env));
console.log("API_KEY exists:", !!process.env.API_KEY);

Script Works in Test but Not Production#

1. Test environment may have different variables
2. Ensure all required variables are set
3. Check for environment-specific configuration

Limitations#

Size Limits#

• Variable name: Maximum 64 characters
• Variable value: Maximum 8KB per value

Count Limits#

• Total variables: No hard limit, but keep manageable for performance

Not Available#

• Variables cannot contain newlines in the value
• Binary data is not supported (use base64 encoding if needed)

Related Topics#

• Script Definitions - Managing your scripts
• API Reference - Available globals and APIs