Manage Settings Using Environmental Variables

Rocket.Chat allows you to manage workspace settings using environment variables, offering an efficient alternative to modifying settings directly through the admin UI or database. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of how you can manage settings using environmental variables and the data types for each kind of setting.

To manage a setting using an environment variable, you need its setting ID. You can find the ID by hovering over the setting label in your workspace’s administration panel.

Configuring settings with environment variables

With environment variables in Rocket.Chat, you can:

Set the initial value for a setting

To define the value of a setting for the first time when starting the server, add the environment variable SETTING_ID=VALUE .

For example:

FileUpload_Storage_Type=hiGoogleCloudStorage

This only applies if the setting hasn't been previously configured in the UI or database. If the setting already has a value, use overwrite setting.

Overwrite the setting value

You can overwrite the value of any setting by using an environment variable prefixed with OVERWRITE_SETTING_<Setting Id>.

For example:

OVERWRITE_SETTING_FileUpload_Storage_Type=GoogleCloudStorage

Settings capable of this action can be seen when hovered in the Administration > Workspace > Settings section.

Block settings

To lock a setting and prevent it from being changed via the UI or API, use the SETTINGS_BLOCKED variable with a comma-separated list of setting IDs you want to block. For example:

SETTINGS_BLOCKED=FileUpload_Storage_Type,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_AccessId,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_Secret

To unblock any setting, remove it from the list and restart your Rocket.chat server.

Hide settings

To hide sensitive settings from appearing in the workspace UI, use the SETTINGS_HIDDEN variable with a comma-separated list of setting IDs you want to hide: For example:

SETTINGS_HIDDEN=FileUpload_GoogleStorage_AccessId,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_Secret

Use this command with extreme caution and avoid hiding any settings that the Rocket.Chat client depends on, for example FileUpload_Storage_Type.

Setting metadata and data types

To use environment variables effectively, it helps to understand the structure of each setting. Each setting includes metadata like its ID, type, default value, and visibility. When setting values via environment variables, you must use the correct data type—e.g., string, boolean, number, etc.

Basic settings

Name	Data Type
`_id`	`SettingId` = string
`type`	boolean timezone string relativeUrl password int select multiSelect language color font code action asset roomPick group date
`public`	boolean
`env`	boolean
`group` (Optional)	`GroupId` = `SettingId`
`section` (Optional)	`SectionName` = string
`tab` (Optional)	`TabId` = `SettingId`
`i18nLabel`	string
`value`	`SettingValue` can be one of the following types: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined
`packageValue`	`SettingValue` can be one of the following types: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined
`blocked`	boolean
`enableQuery` (Optional)	string
`displayQuery` (Optional)	string
`sorter`	number
`properties` (Optional)	unknown
`enterprise` (Optional)	boolean
`requiredOnWizard` (Optional)	boolean
`hidden` (Optional)	boolean
`modules` (Optional)	Array
`invalidValue` (Optional)	`SettingValue` can be one of the following values: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined
`valueSource` (Optional)	string
`secret` (Optional)	boolean
`i18nDescription` (Optional)	string
`autocomplete` (Optional)	boolean
`processEnvValue` (Optional)	`SettingValue` can be one of the following values: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined
`meteorSettingsValue` (Optional)	`SettingValue` can be one of the following values: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined
`ts`	Date
`createdAt`	Date
`_updatedAt` (Optional)	Date
`multiline` (Optional)	boolean
`values` (Optional)	Array
`placeholder` (Optional)	string
`wizard` (Optional)	`step`: number `order`: number
`persistent` (Optional)	boolean
`readonly` (Optional)	boolean
`alert` (Optional)	string
`private` (Optional)	boolean

Group settings

Name	Data Type
`_id`	string
`hidden`	boolean
`blocked`	boolean
`ts`	Date
`sorter`	number
`i18nLabel`	string
`displayQuery`	string
`i18nDescription`	string
`value`	undefined
`type`	group
`alert`	string

Enterprise settings

Name	Data Type
`enterprise`	true
`invalidValue`	`SettingValue` can be one of the following values: string boolean number SettingValueMultiSelect Date AssetValue undefined

Name

Data Type

enterprise

true

invalidValue

SettingValue can be one of the following values:

string
boolean
number
SettingValueMultiSelect
Date
AssetValue
undefined

Color settings

Name	Data Type
`type`	color
`editor`	SettingEditor
`packageEditor` (Optional)	SettingEditor

Action settings

Name	Data Type
`type`	action
`value`	string
`actionText` (Optional)	string

Code settings

Name	Data Type
`type`	action
`value`	string
`actionText` (Optional)	string

Asset settings

Name	Data Type
`type`	asset
`value`	AssetValue
`fileConstraints`	IRocketChatAssetConstraint
`asset`	string

SelectOption settings

Name	Data Type
`key`	The type can be: string number
`i18nLabel`	string

Name

Data Type

key

The type can be:

string
number

i18nLabel

string

Editor settings

Name	Data Type
`COLOR`	color
`EXPRESSION`	expression

Date settings

Name	Data Type
`type`	Date
`value`	Date

Statistics settings

Name	Data Type
`account2fa` (Optional)	boolean
`cannedResponsesEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`e2e` (Optional)	boolean
`e2eDefaultDirectRoom` (Optional)	boolean
`e2eDefaultPrivateRoom` (Optional)	boolean
`smtpHost` (Optional)	string
`smtpPort` (Optional)	string
`fromEmail` (Optional)	string
`fileUploadEnable` (Optional)	boolean
`frameworkDevMode` (Optional)	boolean
`frameworkEnable` (Optional)	boolean
`surveyEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`updateChecker` (Optional)	boolean
`liveStream` (Optional)	boolean
`broadcasting` (Optional)	boolean
`allowEditing` (Optional)	boolean
`allowDeleting` (Optional)	boolean
`allowUnrecognizedSlashCommand` (Optional)	boolean
`allowBadWordsFilter` (Optional)	boolean
`readReceiptEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`readReceiptStoreUsers` (Optional)	boolean
`otrEnable` (Optional)	boolean
`pushEnable` (Optional)	boolean
`globalSearchEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`threadsEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`bigBlueButton` (Optional)	boolean
`jitsiEnabled` (Optional)	boolean
`webRTCEnableChannel` (Optional)	boolean
`webRTCEnablePrivate` (Optional)	boolean
`webRTCEnableDirect` (Optional)	boolean