9.1 KiB
9.1 KiB
Execute Action Modal: Environment Variables
Feature: Custom Environment Variables for Manual Executions
Added: 2026-02-07
Location: Actions Page → Execute Action Modal
Overview
The Execute Action modal now includes an "Environment Variables" section that allows users to specify optional runtime configuration for manual action executions. This is useful for debug flags, log levels, and other runtime settings.
UI Components
Modal Layout
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Execute Action X │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Action: core.http_request │
│ Make an HTTP request to a specified URL │
│ │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Parameters │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ URL * │ │
│ │ https://api.example.com │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Method │ │
│ │ GET │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Environment Variables │
│ Optional environment variables for this execution │
│ (e.g., DEBUG, LOG_LEVEL) │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┬────┐ │
│ │ Key │ Value │ │ │
│ ├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────┤ │
│ │ DEBUG │ true │ X │ │
│ ├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────┤ │
│ │ LOG_LEVEL │ debug │ X │ │
│ ├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────┤ │
│ │ TIMEOUT_SECONDS │ 30 │ X │ │
│ └──────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴────┘ │
│ │
│ + Add Environment Variable │
│ │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Cancel] [Execute] │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Features
Dynamic Key-Value Rows
Each environment variable is entered as a key-value pair on a separate row:
- Key Input: Text field for the environment variable name (e.g.,
DEBUG,LOG_LEVEL) - Value Input: Text field for the environment variable value (e.g.,
true,debug) - Remove Button: X icon to remove the row (disabled when only one row remains)
Add/Remove Functionality
- Add: Click "+ Add Environment Variable" to add a new empty row
- Remove: Click the X button on any row to remove it
- Minimum: At least one row is always present (remove button disabled on last row)
- Empty Rows: Rows with blank keys are filtered out when submitting
Validation
- No built-in validation (flexible for debugging)
- Empty key rows are ignored
- Key-value pairs are sent as-is to the API
Use Cases
1. Debug Mode
Key: DEBUG
Value: true
Action script can check if [ "$DEBUG" = "true" ]; then set -x; fi
2. Custom Log Level
Key: LOG_LEVEL
Value: debug
Action script can use LOG_LEVEL="${LOG_LEVEL:-info}"
3. Timeout Override
Key: TIMEOUT_SECONDS
Value: 30
Action script can use TIMEOUT="${TIMEOUT_SECONDS:-60}"
4. Feature Flags
Key: ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL
Value: true
Action script can conditionally enable features
5. Retry Configuration
Key: MAX_RETRIES
Value: 5
Action script can adjust retry behavior
Important Distinctions
❌ NOT for Sensitive Data
- Environment variables are stored in the database
- They appear in execution logs
- Use action parameters with
secret: truefor passwords/API keys
❌ NOT for Action Parameters
- Action parameters go via stdin as JSON
- Environment variables are for runtime configuration only
- Don't duplicate action parameters here
✅ FOR Runtime Configuration
- Debug flags and feature toggles
- Log levels and verbosity settings
- Timeout and retry overrides
- Non-sensitive execution metadata
Example Workflow
Step 1: Open Execute Modal
- Navigate to Actions page
- Find desired action
- Click "Execute" button
Step 2: Fill Parameters
Fill in required and optional action parameters as usual.
Step 3: Add Environment Variables
- Scroll to "Environment Variables" section
- Enter first env var (e.g.,
DEBUG=true) - Click "+ Add Environment Variable" to add more rows
- Enter additional env vars (e.g.,
LOG_LEVEL=debug) - Click X to remove any unwanted rows
Step 4: Execute
Click "Execute" button. The execution will have:
- Action parameters delivered via stdin (JSON)
- Environment variables set in the process environment
- Standard Attune env vars (
ATTUNE_ACTION,ATTUNE_EXEC_ID, etc.)
API Request Example
When you click Execute with environment variables, the UI sends:
POST /api/v1/executions/execute
{
"action_ref": "core.http_request",
"parameters": {
"url": "https://api.example.com",
"method": "GET"
},
"env_vars": {
"DEBUG": "true",
"LOG_LEVEL": "debug",
"TIMEOUT_SECONDS": "30"
}
}
Action Script Usage
In your action script, environment variables are available as standard environment variables:
#!/bin/bash
# Check custom env vars
if [ "$DEBUG" = "true" ]; then
set -x # Enable debug mode
echo "Debug mode enabled" >&2
fi
# Use custom log level
LOG_LEVEL="${LOG_LEVEL:-info}"
echo "Log level: $LOG_LEVEL" >&2
# Apply custom timeout
TIMEOUT="${TIMEOUT_SECONDS:-60}"
echo "Using timeout: ${TIMEOUT}s" >&2
# Read action parameters from stdin
INPUT=$(cat)
URL=$(echo "$INPUT" | jq -r '.url')
# Execute action logic
curl --max-time "$TIMEOUT" "$URL"
Tips & Best Practices
1. Use Uppercase for Keys
Follow Unix convention: DEBUG, LOG_LEVEL, not debug, log_level
2. Provide Defaults in Scripts
DEBUG="${DEBUG:-false}"
LOG_LEVEL="${LOG_LEVEL:-info}"
3. Document Common Env Vars
Add comments in your action YAML:
# Supports environment variables:
# - DEBUG: Enable debug mode (true/false)
# - LOG_LEVEL: Logging verbosity (debug/info/warn/error)
# - TIMEOUT_SECONDS: Request timeout in seconds
4. Don't Duplicate Parameters
If an action has a timeout parameter, use that instead of TIMEOUT_SECONDS env var.
5. Test Locally First
Test with env vars set locally before using in production:
DEBUG=true LOG_LEVEL=debug ./my_action.sh < params.json
Related Documentation
- QUICKREF: Execution Environment - All environment variables
- QUICKREF: Action Parameters - Parameter delivery via stdin
- Action Development Guide - Writing actions
See Also
- Execution detail page (shows env vars used)
- Workflow inheritance (child executions inherit env vars)
- Rule-triggered executions (no custom env vars)