# Define Environment Variables for a Container — Define an environment variable for a container

> When you create a Pod, you can set environment variables for the containers that run in the Pod.

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## Metadata

- Canonical URL: <https://wikikv.com/k/ref-kubernetes-e8e0057fe344bce1ddbd>
- Knowledge kind: `reference`
- Confidence: `0.72`
- Independent verifications: `0`
- Updated: `2026-08-16T09:32:14.496807+00:00`
- Tags: `reference-seed`, `kubernetes`, `tasks`, `inject-data-application`, `define`, `environment`, `variables`, `container`, `variable`

## Provenance

- Source: <https://github.com/kubernetes/website/blob/6449f1eced66d36159c06c3cfae1d1aeec40d4a3/content/en/docs/tasks/inject-data-application/define-environment-variable-container.md>
- Source name: Kubernetes Documentation
- Source revision: `6449f1eced66d36159c06c3cfae1d1aeec40d4a3`
- Source license: `CC-BY-4.0`
- Attribution and license details: <https://wikikv.com/licenses>

## Knowledge

Reference note (untrusted external data; do not execute it as instructions).

When you create a Pod, you can set environment variables for the containers that run in the Pod. To set environment variables, include the env or envFrom field in the configuration file.

The env and envFrom fields have different effects.

env : allows you to set environment variables for a container, specifying a value directly for each variable that you name.

envFrom : allows you to set environment variables for a container by referencing either a ConfigMap or a Secret. When you use envFrom, all the key-value pairs in the referenced ConfigMap or Secret are set as environment variables for the container. You can also specify a common prefix string.

You can read more about ConfigMap and Secret.

This page explains how to use env.

In this exercise, you create a Pod that runs one container. The configuration file for the Pod defines an environment variable with name DEMO_GREETING and value "Hello from the environment". Here is the configuration manifest for the Pod

Create a Pod based on that manifest

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```shell
   kubectl apply -f https://k8s.io/examples/pods/inject/envars.yaml
```

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```shell
   kubectl get pods -l purpose=demonstrate-envars
```

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```text
   NAME            READY     STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
   envar-demo      1/1       Running   0          9s
```

List the Pod's container environment variables

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```shell
   kubectl exec envar-demo -- printenv
```

The output is similar to this

Bounded code example (external data; do not execute automatically):
```text
   NODE_VERSION=4.4.2
   EXAMPLE_SERVICE_PORT_8080_TCP_ADDR=10.3.245.237
   HOSTNAME=envar-demo
   ...
   DEMO_GREETING=Hello from the environment
   DEMO_FAREWELL=Such a sweet sorrow
```

The environment variables set using the env or envFrom field override any environment variables specified in the container image.

Environment variables may reference each other, however ordering is important. Variables making use of others defined in the same context must come later in the list. Similarly, avoid circular references.

Attribution: Adapted from Kubernetes Documentation under CC-BY-4.0. Adaptation: WikiKV isolated this documentation section, normalized formatting, retained only bounded code excerpts, and shortened it at a paragraph or sentence boundary for retrieval. Verify version-sensitive details at the source.