CanerAkar Environment variables let you store your bot token, API keys, and configuration values outside of your code. On FPS.ms, you do this with a .env file. This keeps secrets secure and makes it easy to change settings without editing your bot's source files.
Why use environment variables?
| Approach | Security | Convenience |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcoded in code | Anyone who sees your code sees your token | Must edit code to change values |
| **.env file** | **Not part of your code** | **Edit one file to change values** |
Never hardcode your token
If your bot token is in your code and you push to a public GitHub repo, anyone can take control of your bot. Always use a
.env file.Creating a .env file on FPS.ms
- Go to panel.fps.ms and select your Telegram bot server
- Open the Files tab
- Create a new file named
.envin the root directory - Add your variables in
KEY=valueformat, one per line:
.env
BOT_TOKEN=7123456789:AAHdqTcvCH1vGWJxfSeofSAs0K5PALDsaw
BOT_NAME=MyCoolBot
ADMIN_CHAT_ID=123456789
- Save the file and restart your server for the changes to take effect
No spaces around the equals sign
Write
BOT_TOKEN=yourtoken, not BOT_TOKEN = yourtoken. Extra spaces can cause the value to be read incorrectly.Keep .env out of Git
If you use a GitHub repository to deploy your bot, add
.env to your .gitignore file so your token is never pushed to GitHub. Create the .env file directly on the FPS.ms panel instead.Reading environment variables in your code
Python
Python needs thepython-dotenv package to load .env files. Add it to your requirements.txt:
requirements.txt
python-telegram-bot
python-dotenv
.env file at the top of your app.py:
app.py
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from telegram.ext import ApplicationBuilder
load_dotenv()
TOKEN = os.environ['BOT_TOKEN']
ADMIN_ID = os.environ.get('ADMIN_CHAT_ID') # returns None if not set
app = ApplicationBuilder().token(TOKEN).build()
| Method | Behavior |
|---|---|
| `os.environ['BOT_TOKEN']` | Raises `KeyError` if not set — use for required values |
| `os.environ.get('ADMIN_CHAT_ID')` | Returns `None` if not set — use for optional values |
Node.js
Node.js needs thedotenv package to load .env files. Add it to your package.json:
package.json (dependencies section)
{
"dependencies": {
"telegraf": "latest",
"dotenv": "latest"
}
}
.env file at the top of your index.js:
index.js
require('dotenv').config();
const { Telegraf } = require('telegraf');
const TOKEN = process.env.BOT_TOKEN;
const ADMIN_ID = process.env.ADMIN_CHAT_ID;
const bot = new Telegraf(TOKEN);
Common environment variables for Telegram bots
| Variable | Example value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `BOT_TOKEN` | `7123456789:AAH...` | Your Telegram bot token (required) |
| `ADMIN_CHAT_ID` | `123456789` | Your Telegram user ID for admin commands |
| `GROUP_CHAT_ID` | `-100123456789` | A group chat ID for notifications |
| `DATABASE_URL` | `sqlite:///bot.db` | Database connection string |
| `LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | Logging verbosity |
Finding your chat ID
To find your Telegram user ID, send a message to @userinfobot on Telegram. It will reply with your numeric ID.
Migrating from hardcoded tokens
Python — before and after
Before (insecure)
app = ApplicationBuilder().token('7123456789:AAHdqTcvCH1vGWJxfSeofSAs0K5PALDsaw').build()
After (secure)
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()
app = ApplicationBuilder().token(os.environ['BOT_TOKEN']).build()
python-dotenv to your requirements.txt.
Node.js — before and after
Before (insecure)
const bot = new Telegraf('7123456789:AAHdqTcvCH1vGWJxfSeofSAs0K5PALDsaw');
After (secure)
require('dotenv').config();
const bot = new Telegraf(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| `KeyError: 'BOT_TOKEN'` (Python) | `.env` file missing or `load_dotenv()` not called | Create `.env` and add `load_dotenv()` before accessing variables |
| `Unauthorized` | Token value is wrong | Copy the token again from [BotFather](/telegram-bots/creating-your-bot-with-botfather/) |
| `ModuleNotFoundError: dotenv` | `python-dotenv` not installed | Add `python-dotenv` to `requirements.txt` |
| `Cannot find module 'dotenv'` | `dotenv` not in dependencies | Add `dotenv` to `package.json` dependencies |
| Changes not taking effect | Server not restarted | Restart your server after editing `.env` |
Next steps
- Install your Telegram bot — full setup guide for Python and Node.js
- Create your bot with BotFather — generate a token
- Edit your code — update files via the panel, SFTP, or VS Code
- Add commands — handle user commands