# Using JSON as String for Environment Variables  the Serverless Framework

Environment variables are a crucial component of AWS Lambda that allows you to pass configuration data to your functions.

In this blog post, we will explore how to use environment variables for AWS Lambda using the [Serverless Framework](https://www.serverless.com/).

Step 1: Create a new Serverless service First, we need to create a new Serverless service by running the following command in your terminal:

`$ serverless create --template aws-nodejs --path my-service`

This command will create a new Serverless service in the `my-service` directory with a basic AWS Node.js template.

Step 2: Define your environment variables Next, we can define our environment variables by adding them to the `serverless.yml` file. Here's an example:

```yaml
service: my-service

params:
  default:
    REGION: ${opt:region, 'us-east-1'}
    STAGE: ${opt:stage, 'dev'}
    AWS_ACCOUNT_ID: ${aws:accountId}
  dev:
    PLAN_ID1: '{"id":"49605","host":"ccma127.loca.lt","path":"/api/paddle-webhook"}'
  prod:
    PLAN_ID1: '49605'  
provider:
  name: aws
  runtime: nodejs14.x
  environment:
    PLAN_ID1: ${param:PLAN1 }

functions:
  hello:
    handler: handler.hello
    events:
      - http:
          path: /
          method: get
```

In this example, we are defining an environment variable called `MY_ENV_VAR` with a value of `my-value`. You can add as many environment variables as you need, separated by commas.

Step 3: Access the environment variables in your Lambda function Finally, we can access the environment variables in our Lambda function using the `process.env` object. Here's an example:

```javascript
exports.hello = async (event) => {
  const myEnvVar = JSON.parse(process.env.PLAN_ID1);
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: `My environment variable value is: ${myEnvVar}`
  };
};
```

In this example, we are accessing the `MY_ENV_VAR` environment variable using `process.env.PLAN_ID1` and returning its value in the response body.

## AWS Lambda Environment

![AWS Lambda Environment Variables](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1683085220792/d793ddae-06d1-4945-97f7-7c3cf18b6aa2.png align="center")

Using environment variables for AWS Lambda using the Serverless Framework is a powerful way to pass configuration data to your functions. By following these simple steps, you can use JSON as the string for Lambda functions that are easy to maintain and update over time.