> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.requestly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment Variables (rq.environment)

> Complete reference for the rq.environment object in Requestly scripts to manage environment variables dynamically during API request execution.

The `rq.environment` object provides methods to dynamically manage environment variables during script execution. Environment variables are scoped to a specific environment and can be used across multiple requests within that environment.

## Methods

### `rq.environment.set(key, value)`

Sets an environment variable with the given key and value. If the variable already exists, it will be updated with the new value.

**Parameters:**

* `key` (string): The name of the environment variable
* `value` (any): The value to store (will be converted to string)

**Example:**

```jsx theme={null}
rq.environment.set("authToken", "Bearer <TOKEN>");
```

### `rq.environment.get(key)`

Retrieves the value of the specified environment variable.

**Parameters:**

* `key` (string): The name of the environment variable to retrieve

**Returns:** The value of the environment variable, or `undefined` if it doesn't exist.

**Example:**

```jsx theme={null}
const token = rq.environment.get("authToken");
console.log("Token:", token);
```

### `rq.environment.unset(key)`

Removes the specified environment variable from the current environment.

**Parameters:**

* `key` (string): The name of the environment variable to remove

**Example:**

```jsx theme={null}
rq.environment.unset("authToken");
```

## Common Use Cases

### Store Authentication Token

After receiving a login response, store the auth token for use in subsequent requests:

```jsx theme={null}
// In post-response script
const responseData = rq.response.json();
if (responseData.token) {
    rq.environment.set("authToken", "Bearer " + responseData.token);
    console.log("Auth token saved to environment");
}
```

### Auto Increment Page Numbers

Automatically increment a page number for pagination:

```jsx theme={null}
// In pre-request script
const currentPage = rq.environment.get("page_number") || 1;
rq.environment.set("page_number", currentPage + 1);
console.log("Next page:", currentPage + 1);
```

### Store API Response Data

Extract and store data from API responses for use in other requests:

```jsx theme={null}
// In post-response script
const data = rq.response.json();
rq.environment.set("user_id", data.id);
rq.environment.set("user_email", data.email);
rq.environment.set("created_at", data.created_at);
```

### Conditional Token Management

Check if a token exists and set it only if needed:

```jsx theme={null}
// In pre-request script
const token = rq.environment.get("authToken");
if (!token) {
    console.error("Auth token not found! Please login first.");
} else {
    console.log("Using existing auth token");
}
```

### Clean Up Sensitive Data

Remove sensitive information after use:

```jsx theme={null}
// After completing authenticated requests
rq.environment.unset("authToken");
rq.environment.unset("password");
console.log("Sensitive data cleared from environment");
```

### Track Request Counts

Keep track of how many times a request has been made:

```jsx theme={null}
// In post-response script
const requestCount = parseInt(rq.environment.get("request_count") || "0");
rq.environment.set("request_count", requestCount + 1);
console.log("This request has been made", requestCount + 1, "times");
```

## Best Practices

1. **Use Descriptive Names**: Choose clear, descriptive names for environment variables (e.g., `authToken` instead of `token`)

2. **Check for Existence**: Always check if a variable exists before using it:
   ```jsx theme={null}
   const value = rq.environment.get("myVar");
   if (value) {
       // Use the value
   } else {
       console.error("Variable not found");
   }
   ```

3. **Clean Up**: Remove sensitive data when no longer needed using `unset()`

4. **Type Handling**: Remember that all environment variable values are stored as strings, so convert them when needed:
   ```jsx theme={null}
   const pageNum = parseInt(rq.environment.get("page_number"));
   ```

## Related Documentation

* [Pre-request & Post-response Scripts](/api-client/scripts)
* [rq.request Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-request)
* [rq.response Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-response)
* [rq.collectionVariables Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-collection-variables)
* [rq.globals Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-globals)
* [rq.vault Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-vault)
* [rq.test Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-test)
* [rq.expect Object](/api-client/rq-api-reference/rq-expect)