diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04ae2cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Copy this file to `.env` and fill in real values. Compose interpolates
+# ${...} references in compose.yaml directly from `.env`, and the `web`
+# container also receives the whole file via `env_file:`.
+
+# --- Django ---
+# Generate a fresh key in prod, e.g.
+#   python -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_urlsafe(64))"
+SECRET_KEY=replace-me-with-a-long-random-string
+DEBUG=true
+ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1
+
+# --- PostgreSQL ---
+# Used by the `db` container and interpolated into DATABASE_URL inside
+# compose.yaml; the `web` container reads DATABASE_URL via dj-database-url.
+POSTGRES_DB=hamprint
+POSTGRES_USER=hamprint
+POSTGRES_PASSWORD=changeme
+
+# --- Mailjet (transactional email) ---
+# Only used when running with `hamprint.settings.prod`; `hamprint.settings.dev`
+# overrides EMAIL_BACKEND to the console backend so emails are printed to
+# the `web` container logs.
+# Get keys at https://app.mailjet.com/account/apikeys
+MAILJET_API_KEY=
+MAILJET_API_SECRET=
+DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=hamprint <noreply@hamlab.lt>
+
+# --- Google OAuth (django-allauth Google provider) ---
+# Configure at https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials and add a
+# SocialApp via Django admin (/admin/socialaccount/socialapp/add/).
+# Leave blank until the `allauth.socialaccount.providers.google` line is
+# uncommented in hamprint/settings/base.py.
+GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=
+GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=
diff --git a/manage.py b/manage.py
index 4231c7d..c624ff0 100755
--- a/manage.py
+++ b/manage.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import sys
 
 def main():
     """Run administrative tasks."""
-    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "hamprint.settings")
+    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "hamprint.settings.dev")
     try:
         from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
     except ImportError as exc: