diff --git a/src/pages/en/guides/configuring-astro.md b/src/pages/en/guides/configuring-astro.md
index d12c2ed6f0fc0..ca77e724c3ea6 100644
--- a/src/pages/en/guides/configuring-astro.md
+++ b/src/pages/en/guides/configuring-astro.md
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ export default defineConfig({
 
 This can be helpful if you have scripts with names that might be impacted by ad blockers (e.g. `ads.js` or `google-tag-manager.js`).
 
+## Environment Variables
+Astro evaluates configuration files before it loads your other files. As such, you can't use `import.meta.env` or access environment variables that were set in `.env` files. 
+
+You can use `process.env` in a configuration file to access other environment variables, like those [set by the CLI](/en/guides/environment-variables/#using-the-cli).
+
 ## Configuration Reference
 
 📚 Read Astro's [API configuration reference](/en/reference/configuration-reference/) for a full overview of all supported configuration options.
diff --git a/src/pages/en/guides/environment-variables.md b/src/pages/en/guides/environment-variables.md
index 0ce74606cc854..536c9c13b0c39 100644
--- a/src/pages/en/guides/environment-variables.md
+++ b/src/pages/en/guides/environment-variables.md
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 layout: ~/layouts/MainLayout.astro
 title: Using environment variables
 description: Learn how to use environment variables in an Astro project.
+setup: import PackageManagerTabs from '~/components/tabs/PackageManagerTabs.astro'
 i18nReady: true
 ---
-
-Astro uses Vite for environment variables, and allows you to [use any of its methods](https://vitejs.dev/guide/env-and-mode.html) to get and set environment variables.
+Astro uses Vite's built-in support for environment variables, and lets you [use any of its methods](https://vitejs.dev/guide/env-and-mode.html) to work with them.
 
 Note that while _all_ environment variables are available in server-side code, only environment variables prefixed with `PUBLIC_` are available in client-side code for security purposes.
 
@@ -16,18 +16,23 @@ PUBLIC_ANYBODY=there
 
 In this example, `PUBLIC_ANYBODY` (accessible via `import.meta.env.PUBLIC_ANYBODY`) will be available in server or client code, while `SECRET_PASSWORD` (accessible via `import.meta.env.SECRET_PASSWORD`) will be server-side only.
 
-## Default environment Variables
+:::caution
+`import.meta.env` and `.env` files are not available inside [configuration files](/en/guides/configuring-astro/#environment-variables). 
+:::
+
+## Default environment variables
 
 Astro includes a few environment variables out-of-the-box:
 
-- `import.meta.env.MODE` (`development` | `production`): the mode your site is running in. This is `development` when running `astro dev` and `production` when running `astro build`.
-- `import.meta.env.BASE_URL` (`string`): the base url your site is being served from. This is determined by the [`base` config option](/en/reference/configuration-reference/#base).
-- `import.meta.env.PROD` (`boolean`): whether your site is running in production.
-- `import.meta.env.DEV` (`boolean`): whether your site is running in development (always the opposite of `import.meta.env.PROD`).
-- `import.meta.env.SITE` (`string`): [The `site` option](/en/reference/configuration-reference/#site) specified in your project's `astro.config`.
+- `import.meta.env.MODE`: The mode your site is running in. This is `development` when running `astro dev` and `production` when running `astro build`.
+- `import.meta.env.PROD`: `true` if your site is running in production; `false` otherwise.
+- `import.meta.env.DEV`: `true` if your site is running in development; `false` otherwise. Always the opposite of `import.meta.env.PROD`.
+- `import.meta.env.BASE_URL`: The base url your site is being served from. This is determined by the [`base` config option](/en/reference/configuration-reference/#base).
+- `import.meta.env.SITE`: This is set to the [the `site` option](/en/reference/configuration-reference/#site) specified in your project's `astro.config`.
 
 ## Setting environment variables
 
+### `.env` files
 Environment variables can be loaded from `.env` files in your project directory.
 
 You can also attach a mode (either `production` or `development`) to the filename, like `.env.production` or `.env.development`, which makes the environment variables only take effect in that mode.
@@ -41,22 +46,36 @@ DB_PASSWORD="foobar"
 PUBLIC_POKEAPI="https://pokeapi.co/api/v2"
 ```
 
-```yaml
-# Supported file names:
-.env                # loaded in all cases
-.env.local          # loaded in all cases, ignored by git
-.env.[mode]         # only loaded in specified mode
-.env.[mode].local   # only loaded in specified mode, ignored by git
-```
+For more on `.env` files, [see the Vite documentation](https://vitejs.dev/guide/env-and-mode.html#env-files).
+
+### Using the CLI
+You can also add environment variables as you run your project:
+
+<PackageManagerTabs>
+ <Fragment slot="yarn">
+    ```shell
+    POKEAPI=https://pokeapi.co/api/v2 yarn run dev
+    ```
+ </Fragment>
+ <Fragment slot="npm">
+    ```shell
+    POKEAPI=https://pokeapi.co/api/v2 npm run dev
+    ```
+ </Fragment>
+ <Fragment slot="pnpm">
+    ```shell
+    POKEAPI=https://pokeapi.co/api/v2 pnpm run dev
+    ```
+ </Fragment>
+</PackageManagerTabs>
 
+:::caution
+Variables set this way will be available everywhere within your project, including on the client.
+:::
 ## Getting environment variables
 
 Instead of using `process.env`, with Vite you use `import.meta.env`, which uses the `import.meta` feature added in ES2020.
 
-:::tip[Don't worry about browser support!]
-Vite replaces all `import.meta.env` mentions with static values.
-:::
-
 For example, use `import.meta.env.PUBLIC_POKEAPI` to get the `PUBLIC_POKEAPI` environment variable.
 
 ```js /(?<!//.*)import.meta.env.[A-Z_]+/