Field explanations
- Top-level settings define the tool behavior
- Environment-specific blocks override defaults
- Paths are usually relative to the config file or project root
- Secrets should be referenced, not committed
Minimal template
[build] command = "npm run build" [vars] APP_ENV = "production"
Common usage patterns
- Keep netlify.toml small and reviewable
- Use comments only when the format supports them
- Commit example files with placeholder values
- Validate locally before deploying
Common errors
- Publish directory wrong
- Redirect syntax invalid
- Env only set in one context
- Plugin version conflict
Online validation
Validate syntax first, then compare behavior against your deploy target. For JSON-based configs, use the JSON formatter before debugging tool-specific behavior.