# Elasticsearch.url does not work as an environment variable inside docker-compose

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209>\
**Category:** Kibana\
**Created:** [July 2, 2018, 12:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209 "2018-07-02T12:36:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nikhil\_Utane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nikhil_utane/32/27547_2.png) [@Nikhil\_Utane](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Nikhil_Utane)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 12:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209/1 "2018-07-02T12:36:05Z")

</div>

I am running Kibana 6.3.0 inside docker.  
However the elasticsearch.url value specified as an environment variable is not picked up when it is specified in docker-compose.yml. In this case Kibana tries to connect to localhost (default value).

docker-compose.yml:

```auto
# Kibana
  kibana:
    build:
      context: kibana/
    container_name: ${ES_KIBANA}
    hostname: ${ES_KIBANA}
    environment:
      - server.name=${ES_KIBANA}
      - elasticsearch.url=http://${ES_CLIENT1}:9200
    volumes:
      - ./kibana/config/kibana.yml:/usr/share/kibana/config/kibana.yml:ro
    ports:
      - "5601:5601"
    networks:
      - esnet
    depends_on:
      - client1

```

If I give the same value in kibana.yml, then in works.  
kibana.yml:  
`elasticsearch.url: http://es-docker-client1:9200`

The environment variables in docker-compose.yml are correctly resolved as seen in the output of docker-compose config:

```auto
  kibana:
    build:
      context: /home/airvana/docker-elk/kibana
    container_name: es-docker-kibana
    depends_on:
    - client1
    environment:
      elasticsearch.url: http://es-docker-client1:9200
      server.name: es-docker-kibana
    hostname: es-docker-kibana
    networks:
      esnet: null
    ports:
    - published: 5601
      target: 5601
    volumes:
    - /home/airvana/docker-elk/kibana/config/kibana.yml:/usr/share/kibana/config/kibana.yml:ro

```

Is this a known issue? Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rashmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rashmi/32/16391_2.png) [@rashmi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rashmi)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209/2 "2018-07-02T16:42:22Z")

</div>

> [@Nikhil\_Utane](#):
>
> `elasticsearch.url: http://es-docker-client1:9200`

@jarpy - can you please help here ? `elasticsearch.url` in` kibana.yml` (or ELASTICSEARCH\_URL under the environment: section of kibana in the compose file) must be set to the specific IP of the cluster and port 9200 I guess it does not resolve if its set like what you have shown when you run outside of compose. I have pinged my colleague for more insight into this.

Thanks  
Rashmi

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nikhil\_Utane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nikhil_utane/32/27547_2.png) [@Nikhil\_Utane](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Nikhil_Utane)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209/3 "2018-07-03T05:25:22Z")

</div>

> [@rashmi](#):
>
> ELASTICSEARCH\_URL

Aha. Thanks for your tip Rashmi.  
I should have been using ELASTICSEARCH\_URL instead of elasticsearch.url in the compose file. My bad, it is mentioned in the documentation as well.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rashmi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rashmi/32/16391_2.png) [@rashmi](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rashmi)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209/4 "2018-07-03T17:15:42Z")

</div>

Glad that its resolved and thanks for posting back.

Cheers  
Rashmi

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-url-does-not-work-as-an-environment-variable-inside-docker-compose/138209/5 "2018-07-31T17:15:46Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 28 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.