# Cannot use environment variables in workflow condition

**URL:** <https://discuss.circleci.com/t/cannot-use-environment-variables-in-workflow-condition/40194>\
**Category:** Bug Reports\
**Created:** [May 26, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/cannot-use-environment-variables-in-workflow-condition/40194 "2021-05-26T14:25:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elkabbany](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/elkabbany/32/27465_2.png) [@elkabbany](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/elkabbany)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/cannot-use-environment-variables-in-workflow-condition/40194/1 "2021-05-26T14:25:46Z")

</div>

Hello

Currently we are in the process of enhancing our pipelines and we would like to apply the following scenario:

- store an environment variable in the project or in a context. Example: STAGING\_BRANCH
- be able to use it in config.yml to decide if a workflow should start or not  
equal: [$STAGING\_BRANCH, \<\< pipeline.git.branch \>\>]

The previous does not work as expected in the last step where we use the env variable in the condition.  
Any attempt to store the env variable in a pipeline parameter and use it within the condition also fails.

Is there any way to achieve this ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/mike/32/24230_2.png) [@mike](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/mike)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/cannot-use-environment-variables-in-workflow-condition/40194/2 "2021-06-07T18:12:06Z")

</div>

Environment variables are expanded at runtime as opposed to compile-time. Because of that, the config.yml would actually evaluate the exact string `$STAGING_BRANCH` as opposed to the value it contains.

With that said, have you looked into the newly released feature [Dynamic Config via Setup Workflows](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/intro-to-dynamic-config-via-setup-workflows/39868)? With this feature, you could create a preliminary workflow that would apply the environment variable and then call your main config.

```auto
setup: true
version: 2.1
orbs:
  continuation: circleci/continuation@0.1.3
workflows:
  setup:
    jobs:
      - continuation/continue:
          configuration_path: ".circleci/main.yml"
          parameters: /home/circleci/test.json
          pre-steps:
            - run:
                command: |
                  export TEST_ENV="hello world"
                  echo '{ "staging-branch": "'$STAGING_BRANCH'" }' >> /home/circleci/test.json

```

In this example, we move the original `.circleci/config.yml` to `.circleci/main.yml` and then create a new `.circleci/config.yml` with the above. In the `main.yml`, we can then use the following conditional:

```auto
equal: [<< pipeline.parameters.staging-branch >>, << pipeline.git.branch >>]

```

Remember, you’ll also need to declare the parameter in the new `main.yml`.

```auto
parameters:
  staging-branch:
    type: string

```