---
title: "Environment Variables"
description: "This page documents all environment variables that configure RivetKit behavior."
skill: true
---

## Connection

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_ENDPOINT` | Endpoint URL to connect to Rivet Engine. Supports [URL auth syntax](/docs/general/endpoints#url-auth-syntax). |
| `RIVET_TOKEN` | Authentication token for Rivet Engine |
| `RIVET_NAMESPACE` | Namespace to use (default: "default") |

## Public Endpoint

These variables configure how clients connect to your actors.

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_PUBLIC_ENDPOINT` | Public endpoint for client connections. Supports [URL auth syntax](/docs/general/endpoints#url-auth-syntax). |
| `RIVET_PUBLIC_TOKEN` | Public token for client authentication |

## Runner Configuration

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_RUNNER` | Runner name (default: "default") |
| `RIVET_RUNNER_VERSION` | Version number for the runner. See [Versions & Upgrades](/docs/actors/versions). |
| `RIVET_RUNNER_KIND` | Type of runner |
| `RIVET_TOTAL_SLOTS` | Total actor slots available (default: 100000) |

## Engine

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_RUN_ENGINE` | Set to `1` to spawn the engine process |
| `RIVET_RUN_ENGINE_VERSION` | Version of engine to download |

## Inspector

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_INSPECTOR_DISABLE` | Set to `1` to disable the inspector |

## Metrics

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `_RIVET_METRICS_TOKEN` | Bearer token that gates the per-actor Prometheus `/metrics` endpoint. When unset, `/metrics` is disabled. |

## Experimental

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_EXPERIMENTAL_OTEL` | Set to `1` to enable experimental OTel tracing in Rivet Actors |

## Storage

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVETKIT_RUNTIME` | Runtime binding to use for RivetKit core: `auto`, `native`, or `wasm`. Defaults to `auto`. |
| `RIVETKIT_STORAGE_PATH` | Overrides the default file-system storage path used by RivetKit when using the default driver. |

## Logging

| Environment Variable | Description |
|---------------------|-------------|
| `RIVET_LOG_LEVEL` | Log level: `trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`, `fatal`, `silent` |
| `RIVET_LOG_TARGET` | Set to `1` to include log target |
| `RIVET_LOG_TIMESTAMP` | Set to `1` to include timestamps |
| `RIVET_LOG_MESSAGE` | Set to `1` to include message formatting |
| `RIVET_LOG_ERROR_STACK` | Set to `1` to include error stack traces |
| `RIVET_LOG_HEADERS` | Set to `1` to log request headers |
