# Configuration & Settings (.NET) > appsettings.json, user secrets, environment variables, options pattern, best practices - 20 interview questions - Junior - [Interview Questions: .NET](https://sharpskill.dev/en/technologies/dotnet/interview-questions.md) ## 1. What is the default priority order of configuration sources in ASP.NET Core? **Answer** Configuration sources are read in a specific order where later sources override earlier ones. Environment variables have the highest priority, followed by appsettings.{Environment}.json, then appsettings.json. User Secrets is only loaded in Development environment and has lower priority than environment variables. ## 2. What is the main benefit of using separate appsettings.{Environment}.json files? **Answer** appsettings.{Environment}.json files allow defining environment-specific configurations without changing code. For example, a local connection string in Development and an Azure connection string in Production. This avoids hardcoding values or modifying code during deployment. ## 3. What is the main role of User Secrets in ASP.NET Core? **Answer** User Secrets stores secrets (API keys, connection strings) in a local JSON file located outside the project, typically in the user directory. This prevents accidentally committing secrets to Git. User Secrets is only loaded in Development environment and should never be used in production. ## 17 more questions available - What is the key difference between IOptions and IOptionsSnapshot? - When should you use IOptionsMonitor instead of IOptionsSnapshot? 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