# How to change node settings in one place

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-node-settings-in-one-place/17457>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [3 November 2019 10:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-node-settings-in-one-place/17457 "2019-11-03T10:16:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 8

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**Author:** ![tb19-nr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tb19-nr/32/19004_2.png) [@tb19-nr](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tb19-nr)\
**Post date:** [13 March 2025 11:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-node-settings-in-one-place/17457/8 "2025-03-13T11:50:54Z")

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Regarding my point 2, "How to supply settings to nodes directly in the node editor input?"

**Is there a way to get an expression working like shown below in recent NR versions (v4 and up)?**

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/d/bdb76109b54cc27a40edffe8d3233ba3c3d2a86f.png)

I created a topic regarding this "expression" type of syntax in node editors, not much response back then.

> [@Support ${msg.foobar} for dynamic input in node editor](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/support-msg-foobar-for-dynamic-input-in-node-editor/17500):
>
> Hey Guys! o) It seems we can use env vars to set node-properties, like described here: [[https://github.com/node-red/node-red/wiki/Design%3A-Using-environment-variables](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/wiki/Design%3A-Using-environment-variables)] Nice, but ENV vars only? Wot? o) Aren't global/flow context vars and message objects the first class citizens in node-red? In my flows I'd like to configure node settings in one place, like email-hostnames, mqtt-prefixes, ip-addresses, filesystem-paths etc. Right now I need to pick dozens of nodes and edit them manually afte…

I also read about JSONata support in more recent versions, but failed to find a single example in the docs and this forum about where these **JSONata expressions can be used and IF they can be used in any node editor (which would solve my problem!)**.

Thank you! o)

ps: Side topic question:  
What does "Environment Variable" mean in Node-Red context? An "Environment Variable" for me, is something I set on OS or process level, like "PATH". Is this the kind of variables Node-Red is talking about, when it says "environment variable" in the docs or is it referring to some javascript / nodejs / flow context variables? I don't get it! o)

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