# Copy (or fallback) variables from one environment to the next

**URL:** https://community.doppler.com/t/copy-or-fallback-variables-from-one-environment-to-the-next/169
**Category:** Feature Requests
**Created:** [March 31, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/copy-or-fallback-variables-from-one-environment-to-the-next/169 "2021-03-31T13:42:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![igas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.doppler.com/igas/32/1121_2.png) [@igas](https://community.doppler.com/u/igas)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2024, 9:21am UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/copy-or-fallback-variables-from-one-environment-to-the-next/169/4 "2024-08-21T09:21:31Z")

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> [@ryan-blunden](#):
>
> developer accidentally making a value the same in different environments

This is true across environments, but it’s very confusing that you need to duplicate all of the values from parent in branched config. UI looks like it’s branching. In git conceptually it’s not loosing data from parent. Currently:

test  
|\> test\_e2e  
|\> test\_ci  
|\> test\_unit  
|\> test\_perf

If I have the same `NODE_ENV=test` in `test`, I expect it to be in every one of the children. And I can override it in specific, like `test_perf` `NODE_ENV=production`. In practice I have dozens of variables, where I set them in the root and expect them to propagate, and deploy explodes with missing variable, so I go and copy it to 4 children. The only edge-case here is where I want to actually drop variable, but I’d rather mark it as “absent” similar to empty value, so things like: `if (isUndefined(process.env.ANALYZE))` will still work.

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_[View the full topic](https://community.doppler.com/t/copy-or-fallback-variables-from-one-environment-to-the-next/169)._