# Create and manage environments
import { Steps } from "@astrojs/starlight/components"
An **environment** is the execution context for flows: it holds credentials, configuration variables, and who can access
them. You create environments to separate development from production, give teams their own secrets, and run the same
flow with different credentials. Open an environment to manage credentials, variables, and members in one place.
## When to use
- You need a dedicated place for credentials and access before you build or deploy a flow.
- You separate Dev / Staging / Prod (or per team or client) so secrets and permissions stay isolated.
- Prefer [Create and manage credentials](/getting-started/credentials/) when the environment already exists and you
only need to store or attach secrets.
- Prefer [Manage versions and deployments](/guides/operate/manage-version-and-deployments/) when you are ready to deploy
a flow version into an environment.
Before you begin, confirm your organization allows you to create environments (or ask an administrator). To edit an
environment’s credentials, variables, or members, you need an **Owner** role on that environment.
## Guide
### Create an environment
An environment groups credentials, variables, and members. Create one for each execution context you need—for example
development versus production.
1. **Open Environments.** In the Studio sidebar, choose **Environments**.
2. **Start Create.** In the page header, click **Create**.
3. **Name the environment.** Choose an icon, enter a name, and optionally a description, then click **Create**.
### Open an environment
Opening an environment shows its credentials, variables (when enabled), and members. Use this page to prepare secrets
and access before you design or deploy flows.
1. **Open Environments.** In the Studio sidebar, choose **Environments**.
2. **Select the environment.** Click the environment card—for example **Docs**.
3. **Work in each section.** Use **Credentials** to store secrets (see
[Create and manage credentials](/getting-started/credentials/)), **Variables** for shared configuration values, and
**Members** to control who can access the environment.
### Use the organization environment
The **Organization environment** (listed at the top of **Environments**) holds credentials and variables that can be
shared across environments. It has no members section—access follows organization roles.
1. **Open Environments.** In the Studio sidebar, choose **Environments**.
2. **Open Organization environment.** Click the **Organization environment** card at the top of the list.
3. **Add shared credentials or variables.** Store secrets or values that several environments should reuse. Prefer
environment-specific credentials when the secret must stay isolated (for example production API keys).
### Manage members
Members control who can use an environment. Owners manage credentials and access; Operators and Auditors have more
limited roles.
1. **Open the environment.** Select the environment whose access you want to change.
2. **Add a member.** In **Members**, click **Add member**, choose a user or team, assign a role (**Owner**,
**Operator**, or **Auditor**), then confirm.
3. **Update or remove access.** Change a member’s role, or remove them when they no longer need the environment.
### Set environment variables
When **Variables** is available on the environment page, store shared configuration values (API base URLs, feature
toggles, and similar) that steps can read at run time. Prefer credentials for secrets.
1. **Open the environment.** Select the environment that should hold the values.
2. **Add a variable.** In **Variables**, click **Add item**, enter the key and value, then save.
### Edit or delete an environment
Rename, re-describe, or remove an environment when your lifecycle or ownership changes.
1. **Edit details.** Open the environment and update the icon, name, or description in the header—or use **Edit
details** from the environment card menu on the list page.
2. **Delete when unused.** From the environment card menu, choose **Delete…**, then confirm. Delete only after you have
moved or removed credentials and deployments that still depend on that environment.
## Example
A SOC team creates a **Docs** environment for development work on threat-intel flows. They add VirusTotal and related
credentials there, keep production secrets in a separate **Prod — SOC** environment, and deploy the same flow to both
so each run uses the credentials of that environment.
1. **Create Docs.** On **Environments**, click **Create**, name the environment `Docs`, add a short description such as
`Development credentials for threat-intel flows`, and save.
2. **Add credentials in Docs.** Open **Docs**, create the vendor credentials the flow needs, then attach them on steps
when designing the flow.
3. **Add members.** Invite builders as **Owner** or **Operator** on **Docs**; keep production Owners on **Prod — SOC**
only.
4. **Deploy per environment.** Deploy the flow to **Docs** for testing, then to **Prod — SOC** for production runs—each
deployment uses only that environment’s credentials.
## Keep in mind
- **Naming:** Use explicit names (for example `Docs`, `STG — Cloud`, `PROD — SOC`) so operators pick the right context.
- **Isolation:** Keep production secrets in production environments; use separate environments per client when accounts
must not mix.
- **Deployments:** A deployment is a flow version running in one environment, with its own triggers and that
environment’s credentials. The same flow can run in several environments in parallel.
- **Organization environment:** Prefer it for truly shared non-sensitive configuration; do not put production-only
secrets there if other environments should not use them.
## Related
- [Create and manage credentials](/getting-started/credentials/) — store secrets in an environment and attach them on
steps.
- [Activate an integration](/getting-started/integrations/) — turn on a vendor before you create its credential.
- [Manage versions and deployments](/guides/operate/manage-version-and-deployments/) — deploy a flow version into an
environment.