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Import Export Environment Variables

You can import and export environment variables (collection and global) to share them across teams or back them up for later use. Bruno allows you to configure and export default environment for your collection. You can find more information about default environment in the Default Environment page.

Accessing Import/Export Options

  1. Go to the Environments section (top right corner).

Environment Variables location

  1. Click on Configure to access the environment settings.

  2. You will see the Import and Export options in the left sidebar.

Export Option

Importing Environment Variables

The import feature accepts environment files in both Bruno and Postman formats.

Steps to Import

  1. Click on the Import button in the environment configuration screen.

Export env

  1. Select the environment file you want to import.
  2. The variables will be added to your environment (global or collection, depending on which you're configuring).

Import Environment

Duplicate environment names

If an imported environment uses a name that already exists in the collection, a prompt dialog lists the conflicts so you can choose what happens.

Import environments dialog when a name already exists

The dialog shows how many environments already exist with the same name. For each conflict, choose one of:

Action What Bruno does
Replace Overwrites the existing environment with the imported one.
New (import as copy) Keeps the existing environment and imports the file as a new environment. Bruno appends Copy to the name.
Skip Leaves the existing environment unchanged and does not import that file. Uncheck the row, or use Skip if it is offered. Other environments in the same batch still import.

When several files conflict in one import, use Apply to all so one choice covers every remaining conflict.

  • Cancel or the dialog close control cancels the whole import. Conflicting files are not applied.

A Postman data dump can contain several environments with the same name. Bruno resolves those names internally and imports the dump without treating them as collection conflicts. You are not prompted for duplicates that exist only inside that dump.

Exporting Environment Variables

Steps to Export

  1. Go to the Environments section.
  2. Click on Configure.
  3. Click the Export button.

Export env

  1. If you have multiple environments, select which environments you want to export.
  2. Choose the location where you want to save the exported JSON file.

Export Collection Environment Location

  1. The environment variables will be saved as a JSON file that can be shared or backed up.

The export procedure is the same for both collection and global environment variables.

Secret variables (variables marked as secret) will not be included in the exported JSON file for security reasons.