AWS CLI Environment Variables: A Complete Guide

Andrios Robert

11 Sep 2025 • 2 min read

The terminal was silent except for the hum of the fan when the deploy failed. The reason? An AWS CLI environment variable wasn’t set.

That’s how most people learn about them — the hard way. AWS CLI environment variables are the hidden gears that decide how your commands run, where they point, and what secrets they carry. Miss one and your workflow breaks. Set them well and your deploys move at the speed of thought.

What Is an AWS CLI Environment Variable?

In AWS CLI, environment variables store configuration values outside your code or command flags. They define AWS credentials, regions, output formats, and more. Instead of typing --region, --profile, or --output every time, you can load them in the shell so they apply to every command in that session.

Common examples:

export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_access_key
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret_key
export AWS_REGION=us-east-1
export AWS_PROFILE=dev

You can also use AWS_DEFAULT_REGION for commands that need a default without specifying --region.

Why Use Environment Variables for AWS CLI?

Speed: One export saves time across dozens of deploys or S3 syncs.
Security: With a .env file and proper permission control, secrets don’t live in scripts or history logs.
Consistency: No guessing what profile or region your session is using.
Portability: Teams share .env templates so everyone uses the same configuration.

Setting AWS CLI Environment Variables

In Bash or Zsh

To make changes for just one session:

export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_access_key
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret_key

For permanent settings, add them to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc and reload:

source ~/.bashrc

In Windows PowerShell

setx AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID "your_access_key"
setx AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY "your_secret_key"
setx AWS_REGION "us-west-2"

With `.env` and `dotenv` tools

For complex projects, store variables in a .env file:

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your_access_key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your_secret_key
AWS_REGION=us-east-1

Then load them at runtime with tools like dotenv or by sourcing the file.

Environment Variable Precedence

AWS CLI resolves configuration in this order:

Command-line options
Environment variables
CLI configuration files (~/.aws/config)
AWS IAM roles for EC2 or Lambda

This means environment variables override values in ~/.aws/config but are overridden by explicit command flags.

Testing Your Setup

Run:

aws configure list

It shows where each value is coming from — environment, config, or IAM role. This is the fastest way to troubleshoot when a variable isn’t being picked up.

Security Considerations

Never commit .env files to version control. Use .gitignore to keep them private. Rotate keys on a schedule. In CI/CD, store secrets in service-specific secure variable stores instead of plain environment variables.

Tight control over AWS CLI environment variables is not just good hygiene; it’s how you avoid leaked keys, wrong-region deploys, and downtime.

If you want to see all this in action without wrestling for hours, check out Hoop.dev. Spin up a live, secure environment in minutes, set your AWS CLI variables instantly, and watch your workflow move without friction.