// Use for ALL Zeabur environment variable operations — create, list, update, delete, or troubleshoot. Use when user says "set env var", "add variable", "create variable", "update variable", "delete variable", "change env var", or "why is my variable empty". Also use when variables are empty or SERVICE_NOT_FOUND errors.
| name | zeabur-variables |
| description | Use for ALL Zeabur environment variable operations — create, list, update, delete, or troubleshoot. Use when user says "set env var", "add variable", "create variable", "update variable", "delete variable", "change env var", or "why is my variable empty". Also use when variables are empty or SERVICE_NOT_FOUND errors. |
Always use
npx zeabur@latestto invoke Zeabur CLI. Never usezeaburdirectly or any other installation method. Ifnpxis not available, install Node.js first.Do not guess CLI syntax. Only
create,update,delete,env, andlistare valid subcommands. Subcommands likesetoradddo not exist and will silently fail with no error output.
--id not --name — name lookup is unreliable${VAR} gets empty — shell expands before CLI receives; use single quotesvariable env replaces ALL variables — it overwrites the entire variable set with the .env file contents; existing variables not in the file will be removedCreates new variables. Errors if a key already exists — use update to change existing keys.
# Always use service ID — use the `zeabur-service-list` skill to get it
npx zeabur@latest variable create --id <service-id> \
-k "KEY1=value1" \
-k "KEY2=value2" \
-y -i=false
Updates only the specified keys. Does NOT clear other variables.
npx zeabur@latest variable update --id <service-id> \
-k "KEY1=new_value1" \
-k "KEY2=new_value2" \
-y -i=false
Deletes only the specified keys.
npx zeabur@latest variable delete --id <service-id> \
--delete-keys "KEY1" \
--delete-keys "KEY2" \
-y -i=false
npx zeabur@latest variable list --id <service-id> -i=false
Warning: This replaces ALL variables on the service with the contents of the .env file. Existing variables not in the file will be removed.
npx zeabur@latest variable env --id <service-id> -f .env
After running env, you must restart the service manually to apply changes.
Warning: The CLI
-kflag uses Cobra'sStringToStringVarparser which cannot reliably handle values containing${}, even with single quotes. The value may be truncated or emptied. See zeabur/cli#201.
# WRONG — shell expands ${VAR} to empty
npx zeabur@latest variable create --id <service-id> -k "REDIS_URL=${REDIS_URI_INTERNAL}" -y -i=false
# STILL UNRELIABLE — single quotes prevent shell expansion but Cobra's CSV parser may still mangle the value
npx zeabur@latest variable create --id <service-id> -k 'REDIS_URL=${REDIS_URI_INTERNAL}' -y -i=false
# RECOMMENDED — set variable references in Zeabur Dashboard
# Or use GraphQL API with updateEnvironmentVariable(data: Map!) mutation
For cross-service variable references like ${POSTGRES_CONNECTION_STRING} (Zeabur uses a flat namespace — all exposed variables from other services are merged directly, no service prefix needed), always use the Zeabur Dashboard until the CLI bug is fixed.
| Need | Command | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Add new vars | npx zeabur@latest variable create --id <service-id> -k "K=V" -y -i=false | Errors if key exists |
| Change existing vars | npx zeabur@latest variable update --id <service-id> -k "K=V" -y -i=false | Only updates specified keys |
| Remove specific vars | npx zeabur@latest variable delete --id <service-id> --delete-keys "K" -y -i=false | Only removes specified keys |
| Overwrite all vars from file | npx zeabur@latest variable env --id <service-id> -f .env | Replaces entire variable set |
| View vars | npx zeabur@latest variable list --id <service-id> -i=false | Read-only |
Use when debugging services on a user's dedicated server via SSH. Use when needing to inspect pods, check container logs, view k8s resources, or run kubectl commands on the server. Use when "service exec" is insufficient and you need server-level access. Use when user says "check my server", "debug pod", "kubectl", "SSH into server", "check k8s", or "inspect cluster".
Use when deploying a local project or codebase to Zeabur. Use when the user says "deploy this", "deploy to Zeabur", "deploy from GitHub", "search my repos", or "find my repository". Default to direct deploy unless the user explicitly asks for Git-based deployment.
Use when the user uploads a project file and you see `<UploadedFile>` in the message. Use when user says "看看這個專案", "分析程式碼", "check this project", "what's in this upload", or asks about the structure of an uploaded file.
Use when modifying service config without full redeploy. Use when updating env vars and restarting single service. Use when user says "change env var", "update config", "fix variable without redeploying", "upgrade service version", "update image tag", or "change service tag".
Use when deploying a database to Zeabur. Use when user needs MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Redis. Use when user says "I need a database", "add database", "deploy postgres", "set up MySQL", "add Redis", "add MongoDB", or "connect to database". Also use when user mentions data persistence issues like "data lost after restart", "data not saved", "data disappears", "need persistent storage for data", or "how to persist data". Also use when integrating a database with an existing service.
Use when deploying object storage (S3-compatible) to Zeabur. Use when user needs MinIO, RustFS, or S3-compatible storage. Use when user says "object storage", "file storage", "S3", "MinIO", "RustFS", "upload files", "store files", "blob storage", or "OSS". Also use when integrating object storage with an existing service.