Load it in your app:?

Short answer: require('dotenv').config(); console.log(process.env.DB_PASSWORD); require('dotenv').config(); console.log(process.env.DB_PASSWORD); require('dotenv').config(); console.log(process.env.DB_PASSWORD); require('dotenv').config(); console.log(process.env.DB_PASSWORD);

Real-world example (ShopNest)

A ShopNest BFF in Node.js aggregates catalog and price APIs for the React storefront.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.