diff --git a/example.env b/example.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54db381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example.env
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# copy this file as ".env" and add credentials locally. Ensure credentials are not added to git, EVER
+export CONNECTION_STRING=""
+export OPENAI_API_KEY=""