env-time-travel

env-time-travel is a CLI for tracing .env variables through git history. It shows who added a variable, when it changed, when it disappeared, and whether it still exists today.

Install

pnpm add -g env-time-travel

Usage

env-time-travel [variable] [options]

Options:

• --all Show all variables. This is the default when no variable is provided.
• --audit Audit .env history for likely secret variables left in git history.
• --diff <commit1> <commit2> Show exact env changes between two commits.
• --export <format> Export timelines as json, csv, or markdown.
• --file <path> Track a specific env file. Defaults to .env.
• --json Emit JSON instead of colored terminal output.
• --secrets-check Scan git history for accidentally committed secret values.
• --zombies Only show removed variables.
• --since <date> Only include changes on or after YYYY-MM-DD.

Examples:

env-time-travel DB_HOST
env-time-travel --all
env-time-travel --audit
env-time-travel --diff HEAD~5 HEAD
env-time-travel --all --export json
env-time-travel DB_HOST --export markdown
env-time-travel --secrets-check
env-time-travel --zombies --since 2024-01-01
env-time-travel API_URL --json

How It Works

1. Reads git patch history for .env files.
2. Parses added and removed KEY=VALUE lines from diff hunks.
3. Builds a per-variable timeline of ADDED, CHANGED, and REMOVED events.
4. Cross-references the current .env to determine whether each variable is still current.
5. Checks .env.example, .env.sample, and .env.template to detect documented variables that no longer exist.

Zombie Variables

A zombie variable is a variable that has been removed from the current tracked env file, but still appears in documentation files like .env.example, .env.sample, or .env.template. These are often stale variables that still confuse new contributors or deployment tooling.