# Using env variables in kibana.yml

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529>\
**Category:** Kibana\
**Created:** [April 25, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529 "2019-04-25T19:06:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![purple](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/purple/32/44578_2.png) [@purple](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/purple)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529/1 "2019-04-25T19:06:20Z")

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I understand this has been asked before but all responses are 1-2 years old.

I want to pass credentials in `kibana.yml` through a `.env` file.

* * *

```auto
// .env

USER=johndoe
PASS=secret

```

```auto
// kibana.yml

...
elasticsearch.username=%{USER}
elasticsearch.password=%{PASS}
...

```

Is the above method possible?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529/2 "2019-04-25T19:53:17Z")

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Yes, you can currently do this. The format is `${MY_ENV_VAR}`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![purple](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/purple/32/44578_2.png) [@purple](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/purple)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529/3 "2019-04-25T20:01:02Z")

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Is it possible in Kibana v6.2.5, ES v6.2.4 on centOS 7.4 ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tylersmalley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tylersmalley/32/8833_2.png) [@tylersmalley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tylersmalley)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529/4 "2019-04-25T20:20:48Z")

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No, sorry this was introduced in 6.3.0.

Alternatively, the Kibana configuration options can be passed to `bin/kibana`.

For example:  
`bin/kibana --elasticsearch.password=foo`

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<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:** [May 23, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-env-variables-in-kibana-yml/178529/5 "2019-05-23T20:34:18Z")

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