---
title: "Set environment variables"
description: "Add environment variables to a Model Endpoint under Advanced Settings, with the rules for keys and values and the one variable the form adds for you."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "model-endpoints"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/model-endpoints/how-to/set-environment-variables/"
topic: ["create"]
---

# Set environment variables

Pass settings to your model or container, such as a file path or a framework option, as environment variables that the endpoint starts with.

## Before you begin

- Permission to create model endpoints in the project, or to update one that already exists. A Member needs a policy that grants create or update permission for the Inference service.
- The key and value for each variable.

## Add the variables

1. On the create form, or on **Update Inference**, open **Advanced Settings**.
2. Under **Environment Variables**, select **Add Environment Variable**.
3. Type the **Key** and the **Value**. A key can use letters, digits, and underscores, and must start with a letter or an underscore. Every row needs both a key and a value.
4. Repeat for each variable. You can remove a row that you added.
5. Select **Deploy Endpoint**, or **Update Endpoint** on an existing endpoint.

If you add the same key twice, the endpoint uses the value you added last. TIR drops rows with an empty key before it creates the endpoint.

## The variable the form adds

TIR adds **HF_HOME** for you. You can change its value; its name stays fixed. It starts as the cache path plus `/.cache`, so the Hugging Face cache sits inside **Model Cache Storage**.

## Check the variables

Under **Actions**, select **Update Inference** to see your variables and change them. See [Update an endpoint](/tir/model-endpoints/how-to/update-an-endpoint/).

If a framework or container needs a Hugging Face or GitHub token, the create form asks for it as an integration. The integration takes the place of a variable. See [Create an endpoint](/tir/model-endpoints/how-to/create-an-endpoint/).