ENV to JSON: Preserve Strings, Quotes and Duplicate Keys
Keep configuration values intact when you convert dotenv text to JSON. Use a worked example to check strings, duplicate keys, quotes and empty values.
The .env text stays in your browser. Secret-looking values are masked. Analytics and ads may load on the page.
Duplicate keys and unquoted values with spaces are flagged.
Missing or extra keys are reported.
How to lint a .env file
-
Paste .env
Paste the file you want to check. The sample has a duplicate key and an unquoted value with spaces. -
Optional example
Paste .env.example to see missing or extra keys. -
Lint
Read duplicate keys, unquoted spaces, and export prefixes. Secrets appear masked. -
Fix in your editor
Quote values that contain spaces and remove duplicate keys.
Guides and articles
Read instructions and examples for this tool.
Env Linter: Catch Duplicate Keys and Secret Drift
Paste a dotenv file, compare it to .env.example, and read masked findings. The linter does not execute the file and does not upload it.
Inspect .env Files and PEM Certificates in the Browser
Two local inspections that do not need a server: lint a .env file, then decode a PEM certificate or CSR. Live SSL checks stay on a different tool.
Common Use Cases
Duplicate Key Checks
Find repeated variable names that can make runtime configuration depend on parser order.
Example File Drift
Compare .env with .env.example and find missing or extra keys before release.
Dotenv Syntax Review
Find invalid names, missing equals signs, export prefixes, and unquoted values with spaces.
Secret Candidate Review
Find common token patterns and secret-like variable names, with candidate values masked in the report.
Why lint a .env file
Small mistakes in dotenv files fail at runtime. This page checks duplicate keys, unquoted values with spaces, export prefixes, and key drift. Secret-looking values are masked in the findings. The text is not uploaded to FindUtils. Analytics or ads on the page may still load.
FindUtils Env Linter checks common KEY=value files for mistakes that can change application configuration. It reports duplicate keys, invalid lines, invalid names, export prefixes, and unquoted values that contain spaces.
An optional .env.example comparison finds keys that exist in only one file. The report also marks common token patterns and secret-like key names, and it masks those candidate values in the table. Detection is heuristic and cannot identify every secret.
Linting runs in your browser and does not change the pasted files. Use the JSON Formatter for JSON configuration, and use the JWT Decoder only with non-sensitive test tokens.
How it compares
A basic dotenv parser can tell you whether it accepts a file. FindUtils Env Linter also reports duplicate keys and example-file drift, but it does not replace application startup checks, framework-specific parsing, or a dedicated secret scanner.
Use the HMAC Generator for controlled signature test data. Do not paste a production secret into any unrelated tool.
Env Linting Tips
- Paste .env.example with .env when you need a key drift report.
- Remove duplicate keys even when your current dotenv parser accepts them.
- Quote a value that contains spaces so its intended boundary is clear.
- Treat secret masking as a warning aid, not a complete secret scanner.
- Fix the source file in your editor because this tool does not change pasted text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this upload secrets?
No. FindUtils runs the lint in your browser and does not upload or store the .env text. Secret-looking values are masked in the result table, but detection is not complete.
What does it flag?
It flags duplicate keys, invalid lines, invalid names, export prefixes, unquoted spaces, and selected secret candidates. It can also compare keys with an optional .env.example file.
Is this a parser for every dotenv dialect?
No. FindUtils Env Linter checks common dotenv file shapes. It is not a complete shell parser or a framework-specific configuration loader.
Can I compare two files?
Yes. Paste .env and the optional .env.example text. The report identifies keys that exist in only one input.
Does it change my file?
No. The tool reports issues and displays parsed keys only. Make each correction in your source file and run the lint again.
Does masking find every secret?
No. It recognizes selected token patterns and secret-like key names. An unrecognized sensitive value can remain visible, so review the input and result carefully.
What does the .env.example comparison report?
It reports keys that are missing from .env. It also reports keys present in .env but absent from .env.example.
Are comments and blank lines errors?
No. The linter ignores blank lines and comment lines. Other non-empty lines must use a supported KEY=value shape.
Does it validate database URLs or API credentials?
No. It checks file shape and selected secret patterns. It does not contact a database or API, and it cannot prove that a credential works.
Does it support shell scripts?
No. It checks common dotenv files only. Shell expansion, commands, substitutions, and full shell grammar are outside its scope.