How to Use PHP Environment Variables in Laravel

Managing environment variables in Laravel is crucial for maintaining configuration settings across different environments, such as local, staging, and production, by using a .env file to keep sensitive data out of version control, which enhances flexibility and security. The guide provides detailed instructions on setting up environment variables, including creating and modifying a .env file, accessing these variables using Laravel's env() and config() helpers, and integrating them into Laravel applications, specifically with the Vonage Verify API. Emphasizing best practices such as using separate .env files for different environments, not hardcoding API keys, and employing secret management tools, it also highlights the importance of configuration caching for performance improvement while detailing troubleshooting steps for common issues with environment variables. The article concludes by encouraging developers to engage with the Vonage community and stay updated through various channels like newsletters and social media.