Suggestion: Allow passing environment variables separated by line breaks for easier input #1501

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1. MikeMcC399

   added the

   Feature

   issue type on Jul 15, 2025
2. MikeMcC399

   added

   type: enhancementNew feature or requestNew feature or request

   on Jul 15, 2025
3. MikeMcC399 commented on Jul 16, 2025

   

   MikeMcC399

   on Jul 16, 2025

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   @Radiergummi

   The quote from the documentation is an excerpt only and the full section Env reads as follows. This provides an alternative for having one line per environment variable:

   ---

   Env

   Specify the env argument with env parameter

   name: Cypress tests
   on: push
   jobs:
     cypress-run:
       runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
       steps:
         - name: Checkout
           uses: actions/checkout@v4
   
         - name: Cypress run with env
           uses: cypress-io/github-action@v6
           with:
             env: host=api.dev.local,port=4222

   When passing the environment variables this way, unfortunately due to GitHub Actions syntax, the variables should be listed in a single line, which can be hard to read. As an alternative, you can use the step's env block where every variable can be set on its own line. In this case, you should prefix every variable with CYPRESS_ because such variables are loaded by Cypress automatically. The above code example is equivalent to:

   name: Cypress tests
   on: push
   jobs:
     cypress-run:
       runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
       steps:
         - name: Checkout
           uses: actions/checkout@v4
   
         - name: Cypress run with env
           uses: cypress-io/github-action@v6
           env:
             CYPRESS_host: api.dev.local
             CYPRESS_port: 4222

   For more examples, see the workflows below, using environment variables for recording.

   

   ---

   A flexible alternative, as suggested in this enhancement request, would be beneficial and these types of enhancements in the past years have relied on community contributions, so if you are confident to implement this proposal you may consider submitting a PR.

   Note that behind the scenes the action uses both the Cypress Module API and, as an alternative, Cypress CLI, so any changes need to cover both scenarios and would need to have tests added as well as code changes to the action.