Laravel loads .env only. You need to modify your bootstrap.
// bootstrap/app.php or a dedicated ConfigServiceProvideruse Dotenv\Dotenv;
$root = DIR.'/../';
// Load the default file (committed) if (file_exists($root.'.env.default')) Dotenv::createMutable($root, '.env.default')->load();
// Overload with local file (ignored) if (file_exists($root.'.env.default.local')) Dotenv::createMutable($root, '.env.default.local')->overload();.env.default.local
In the landscape of modern software development, managing configuration variables—API keys, database URLs, and environment-specific settings—is a critical discipline. The standard has largely settled on the .env file, a simple key-value pair file loaded into the application’s environment. However, as projects grow in complexity and team size, a single file is rarely enough. This is where the nuanced hierarchy of environment files comes into play, and where the specific utility of .env.default.local becomes apparent. Laravel loads
To understand .env.default.local, one must first understand the standard "default" file. A .env.default (or sometimes .env.example) file acts as the blueprint for a project. It lists every configuration variable the application requires to run, often with dummy or empty values. Its primary purpose is version control; it is committed to the repository so that every developer knows what variables are needed.
However, a common friction point arises: developers often need to override these defaults for their specific local setup without altering the committed blueprint. They might need to connect to a local database instance, use a specific testing API key, or toggle a feature flag. If they edit the .env.default file directly to suit their machine, they risk accidentally committing those changes to the repository, breaking the build for others. // Overload with local file (ignored)
if (file_exists($root
Enter .env.default.local.
| File | Committed? | Purpose |
|------|------------|---------|
| .env | Yes | Shared defaults (safe public values) |
| .env.default | Yes | System fallback (rarely used) |
| .env.local | No | Actual local secrets & overrides |
| .env.default.local | No | Safe local defaults (base for .env.local) |
| .env.testing | Yes | Testing environment defaults |
| .env.production | No | Server-only (managed via deploy scripts) |