--- title: "Configuration Management Across Environments" slug: "configuration-management-across-environments" tags: ["administration"] updated: 2026-09-11T20:01:50Z published: 2026-09-11T20:01:50Z canonical: "docs.unqork.io/configuration-management-across-environments" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unqork.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Configuration Management Across Environments Promoting a resource moves the resource itself (a module, style, or service definition) but not the environment-level configuration that surrounds it. Each Unqork environment maintains its own independent configuration: API credentials, SSO settings, session policies, and integrations. A module promoted from Staging to Production arrives in Production with its original configuration values intact, including any that are Staging-specific. This article covers how to manage environment-specific values so modules behave correctly at every environment level. ## What Does Not Transfer The following are not copied or updated when a resource is promoted: | Setting | Managed in | | --- | --- | | Service credentials and endpoints | Services Administration | | SSO provider configuration | SSO Management | | Global Variable values | Global Variables Administration | | Session and security policies | Environment Administration | | File upload limits | Environment Administration | | Creator accounts and roles | Creator User Administration, Creator Role Administration | | Express user accounts | Express User Administration | These must be configured independently in each environment. Verify them after every promotion. ## Using Global Variables for Environment-Specific Values The most common source of failures after promotion is hard-coded environment-specific values in modules. Examples include a hard-coded API endpoint, a Staging-specific feature flag value, or a configuration key that only exists in one environment. The correct approach is to store environment-specific values as [Global Variables](/unqorkai/docs/global-variables-administration). Global Variables are key-value pairs defined at the environment level. A module references the variable by key, and the environment resolves it to the correct value at runtime. For example, the same module reads `API_BASE_URL` in Staging and gets `https://api-staging.example.com`; in Production it gets `https://api.example.com`, with no change to the module itself. ### Setting Up Global Variables 1. Identify every environment-specific value in the module: API endpoints, credentials, feature flags, identifiers. 2. Define each value as a Global Variable in [Global Variables Administration](/unqorkai/docs/global-variables-administration) with a consistent key name across all environments. 3. Replace hard-coded values in module configurations with the corresponding Global Variable key. 4. Verify the correct value is defined in each environment (Staging, QA, UAT, Production) before promoting. Global Variables can be promoted between environments using the **Promote** action in Global Variables Administration, or set manually in each environment. If the value differs between environments, set them manually instead of promoting. ## Managing Service Configuration Services define how modules connect to external systems. A service configured in Staging might use a Staging API key and a Staging endpoint. The same service in Production must use Production credentials pointing at the Production system. Configure each service independently in each environment. Do not promote Staging credentials to Production. After promoting a module that calls a service: 1. Open [Services Administration](/unqorkai/docs/services-administration) in the target environment. 2. Verify the service exists and is configured with the correct credentials and endpoint for that environment. 3. Test the service connection before testing the module. ## Managing SSO Configuration SSO configurations are environment-specific. An SSO configuration in Staging does not transfer to Production during promotion. Each environment requires its own SSO setup with the identity provider. After provisioning a new environment, configure SSO separately in [SSO Management](/unqorkai/docs/single-sign-on-sso-management). Ensure the redirect URIs registered with the identity provider match the target environment's URL. ## Common Pitfalls ### Hard-Coded Endpoints A module promoted with a hard-coded Staging API endpoint will call the Staging API from Production. The request might succeed (with wrong data) or fail silently. Replace all hard-coded endpoints with Global Variables before promotion. ### Missing Global Variables If a module references a Global Variable key that does not exist in the target environment, the module receives an empty value. The module might fail silently or produce incorrect output. Define all referenced Global Variable keys in every environment before promoting. ### Service Credentials Not Updated A service promoted or re-configured in Staging retains Staging credentials in Production unless explicitly updated. After any service configuration change in Staging, verify the Production service is configured with the correct Production credentials. ### Configuration Changes After Promotion Environment Administration settings (session timeouts, security policies, file limits) do not change when resources are promoted. If organizational policy requires different settings in Production, configure them directly in the Production environment's Environment Administration. These changes take effect immediately and do not require promotion. ## Environment Configuration Reference Run through this reference when setting up or auditing an environment after promotion. | Configuration area | Where to verify | Transfers on promotion? | | --- | --- | --- | | Service endpoints and credentials | Services Administration | No, configure per environment | | Global Variable values | Global Variables Administration | Yes (promotable) or manual | | SSO provider settings | SSO Management | No | | Session timeouts | Environment Administration | No | | File upload limits | Environment Administration | No | | CSP and CORS policies | Environment Administration | No | | Express roles and groups | Express Role/Group Administration | Yes (promotable) | | Styles and themes | Style Administration | Yes (promotable) | --- **Changelog** | Date | Change | | --- | --- | | 2026-08-30 | Initial publication (EN-8074). | APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. Single Sign-On is an authentication scheme that enables users to use one set of login credentials across multiple services. The Staging environment is the first level of application building in Unqork. Use it to build, test, and style your applications. The Production environment is the final stage of the development process. Use this environment to promote tested and functioning application so your end-user can interact with it. An API endpoint is the location where an API receives requests for a specific resource on its server. It's the point of contact between an API client and an API server, and is usually a uniform resource locator (URL) that provides the location of the resource. Also known as Unqork Users, or Designer Users; is anyone who is inside the Unqork platform. The Unqork front-end application framework that delivers Creator-built applications to end-users. Express is the layer end-users interact with—the published forms, screens, and navigation built in the Module Builder. Express is distinct from Express View, which is a Creator-facing preview tool in the IDE. An API endpoint is the location where an API receives requests for a specific resource on its server. It's the point of contact between an API client and an API server, and is usually a uniform resource locator (URL) that provides the location of the resource. A functionality of a software. For example, Copy and Paste is a feature of a computer's operating system. A key-value pair is a fundamental data structure where a unique "key" is associated with a specific "value," used for organizing and retrieving data efficiently, like in dictionaries or databases. Use your QA (quality assurance) environment to test applications to ensure reliability, security, and functionality before releasing them to the end-user. Use the UAT (user acceptance testing) environment to realistically test and navigate your applications as end-users would use them. A definition Identity provider (IdP) provide a service that creates, manages, and verifies users' digital identities, allowing them to securely authenticate and access different applications or services. A URL (uniform resource locator) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. Also known as a web address. A key-value pair is a fundamental data structure where a unique "key" is associated with a specific "value," used for organizing and retrieving data efficiently, like in dictionaries or databases. A CSP (cloud service provider) is a company that delivers cloud computing services like storage, databases, and infrastructure to organizations over the internet, allowing users to access computing power, data storage, and applications on demand without managing their own physical hardware, typically paying only for the resources they use. Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) lets you control access to resources located outside a given domain.