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Dev tools · January 22, 2026

DM

Dotenv Mask Editor: No more embarrassing screen leaks of your .env

Hi HN, I built this because I often work in coworking spaces or do screen sharing, and I've always had this fear of accidentally flashing my .env file with production secrets to the whole room (or recording). It’s a simple VS Code extension that opens .env files in a custom grid editor. It automatically masks any value longer than 6 characters so I can safely open the file to check keys without exposing the actual secrets. It runs 100% locally with zero dependencies (I know how sensitive these files are). It just reads the file, renders the grid, and saves it back as standard text. It's open…

In plain words

Dotenv Mask Editor is a VS Code extension that opens .env files in a grid view with automatic masking of values longer than six characters, preventing accidental exposure of production secrets during screen sharing or coworking sessions. Designed for developers who work in shared environments, it processes files entirely locally without external dependencies, leaving the file structure intact for saving. The tool is open source and MIT licensed.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hi HN, I built this because I often work in coworking spaces or do screen sharing, and I've always had this fear of accidentally flashing my .env file with production secrets to the whole room (or recording). It’s a simple VS Code extension that opens .env files in a custom grid editor. It automatically masks any value longer than 6 characters so I can safely open the file to check keys without exposing the actual secrets. It runs 100% locally with zero dependencies (I know how sensitive these files are). It just reads the file, renders the grid, and saves it back as standard text. It's open source (MIT) and I'd love any feedback on the masking logic or other features that would make it safer to use. Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=xinbenlv... Github https://github.com/xinbenlv/dotenv-mask-editor

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