Config Vars

Configuration variables (Config Vars) are settings that control how your Nightscout site functions and displays information. This guide explains the most important configuration variables for your Nightscout Pro site.

Understanding Config Vars

Nightscout Pro handles most of the technical configuration for you, but understanding these variables can help you customize your site to better suit your needs. These settings control everything from data sources and security to alarms and visual appearance.

Essential Config Vars

API_SECRET

Purpose: This is your Nightscout password that provides full access to your site.

Details: – Must be at least 12 characters long – Is case-sensitive – Should be kept private and secure

Best Practice: Never share your API_SECRET publicly. If you need to share Nightscout access but want to control the level of access, use authentication tokens instead.

DISPLAY_UNITS

Purpose: Determines the glucose measurement units displayed throughout your site.

Options: – mg/dl – Used in the United States and some other countries – mmol/L (or just mmol) – Used in most other countries

Best Practice: Ensure this matches the units used by your glucose monitoring device and uploader apps.

Feature Configuration

ENABLE

Purpose: Controls which plugins (features) are active on your Nightscout site.

Common Plugins: – careportal – Allows recording of treatments and events – boluscalc – Provides a bolus calculator – food – Enables custom food database – rawbg – Shows raw BG values from CGM – iob – Calculates and displays Insulin on Board – cob – Calculates and displays Carbs on Board – bwp – Bolus Wizard Preview – cage – Cannula Age tracking – sage – Sensor Age tracking – iage – Insulin Age tracking – basal – Displays basal rates – bolus – Shows bolus treatments – bridge – Enables Dexcom Share integration – pump – Displays pump information – openaps – OpenAPS integration – loop – Loop integration

Best Practice: Include all plugins you might need. Unused plugins won’t cause problems, but missing ones will limit functionality.

DISABLE

Purpose: Allows disabling specific default features.

Example: direction upbat would disable direction arrows and uploader battery information.

Alarm Configuration

ALARM_TYPES

Purpose: Determines which types of alarms are active.

Options: – simple – Triggers alarms when BG crosses thresholds – predict – Uses predictive algorithms to forecast where BG is heading

BG Threshold Settings

These settings define the glucose levels that trigger alarms:

• BG_HIGH – Urgent high threshold
• BG_TARGET_TOP – High threshold
• BG_TARGET_BOTTOM – Low threshold
• BG_LOW – Urgent low threshold

Note: These values should be set in the units you selected with DISPLAY_UNITS.

Authentication Settings

AUTH_DEFAULT_ROLES

in Nightscout Pro, this setting is controlled by checking or unchecking the box “Make My Nightscout Site Private“

Purpose: Controls who can view your Nightscout site.

Options: – unchecked – Anyone can view without authentication – checked – Requires authentication for all access – status-only – Enables API_SECRET based login

Visual Customization

THEME

Purpose: Changes the visual appearance of your site.

Options: default, colors, colorblindfriendly, and others.

CUSTOM_TITLE

Purpose: Sets a custom title for your Nightscout site.

Example: “John’s Glucose Monitor” instead of the default “Nightscout”

Time Display Settings

TIME_FORMAT

Purpose: Controls how time is displayed.

Options: – 12 – 12-hour format (AM/PM) – 24 – 24-hour format

NIGHT_MODE

Purpose: Enables a darker theme during nighttime hours.

Options: on or off

Advanced Settings

ENABLE_ALERTS

Purpose: Turns the alerting system on or off.

Options: true or false

SHOW_PLUGINS

Purpose: Controls which plugins appear in the main view.

Example: careportal iob cob basal

Modifying Config Vars in Nightscout Pro

Nightscout Pro makes it easy to modify your configuration variables:

1. Log in to your Nightscout Pro account
2. Locate the Config Vars section
3. Make your desired changes
4. Save your settings

Your changes will be applied automatically, and your site will update to reflect the new configuration.

Best Practices

• Start Simple: Begin with the default settings and adjust as needed
• Document Changes: Keep track of any configuration changes you make
• Test After Changes: Always verify that your site works as expected after modifying settings
• Consult Documentation: Refer to the Nightscout GitHub documentation for detailed information about specific variables

Remember that Nightscout Pro handles the technical aspects of maintaining your site, so you can focus on configuring it to best meet your needs rather than worrying about server maintenance or database management.