---
title: "Base variants"
manual: "TYPO3 Explained"
version: "13.4"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:sitehandling-basevariants@13.4"
source: "ApiOverview/SiteHandling/BaseVariants.rst"
rendered: "2026-09-23T13:16:30+00:00"
---

# Base variants {#sitehandling-basevariants}

In site handling, "base variants" represent different bases for a website
depending on a specified condition. For example, a "live" base URL might be
`https://example.org/`, but on a local machine it is
`https://example.localhost/` as a domain - that is when variants are used.

Base variants exist for languages, too. Currently, these can only be defined
through the respective `*.yaml` file, there is no backend user interface
available yet.

Variants consist of two parts:

-   a base to use for this variant
-   a condition that decides when this variant shall be active

Conditions are based on [Symfony expression language](https://symfony.com/doc/current/components/expression_language.html) and allow flexible
conditions, for example:

```none
applicationContext == "Development"
```

would define a base variant to use in "Development" context.

> [!NOTE]
> Environment variables can be used in the `base` via `%env(...)%`.
> `condition` needs `getenv(...)` instead.

![](../../Images/ManualScreenshots/SiteHandling/SiteHandlingBaseVariants-1.png)

> [!TIP]
> **Hint**
>
> For those coming from earlier TYPO3 versions: With site handling, there is
> no need for `sys_domain` records anymore!

> [!NOTE]
> **See also**
>
> -   Read [Application Context](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:application-context@13.4) for more information on how to set the
>     application context.
> -   Read [YAML API](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:yaml-api@13.4) for more information on YAML parsing.

The following variables and functions are available in addition to the default
Symfony functionality:

## Example {#sitehandling-base-variants-example}

**config/sites/\<some_site>/config.yaml | typo3conf/sites/\<some_site>/config.yaml**

```yaml
rootPageId: 1
base: 'https://example.org/'
baseVariants:
  - base: 'https://example.localhost/'
    condition: 'applicationContext == "Development"'
  - base: 'https://staging.example.org/'
    condition: 'applicationContext == "Production/Sydney"'
  - base: 'https://testing.example.org/'
    condition: 'applicationContext == "Testing/Paris"'
  - base: '%env("TYPO3_BASE")%'
    condition: 'getenv("TYPO3_BASE")'
languages:
  - title: English
    enabled: true
    locale: en_US.UTF-8
    base: /
    websiteTitle: ''
    navigationTitle: English
    flag: gb
    languageId: 0
  - title: Deutsch
    enabled: true
    locale: de_DE.UTF-8
    base: 'https://example.net/'
    baseVariants:
      - base: 'https://de.example.localhost/'
        condition: 'applicationContext == "Development"'
      - base: 'https://staging.example.net/'
        condition: 'applicationContext == "Production/Sydney"'
      - base: 'https://testing.example.net/'
        condition: 'applicationContext == "Testing/Paris"'
    websiteTitle: ''
    navigationTitle: Deutsch
    fallbackType: strict
    flag: de
    languageId: 1

```

## Properties {#sitehandling-base-variants-properties}

-   **typo3.version**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `13.4.0`

    The current TYPO3 version.

-   **typo3.branch**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `13.4`

    The current TYPO3 branch.

-   **typo3.devIpMask**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `203.0.113.*`

    The configured devIpMask taken from
    [$GLOBALS\['TYPO3_CONF_VARS'\]\['SYS'\]\['devIPmask'\]](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:typo3confvars-sys-devipmask@13.4).

-   **applicationContext**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `Development`

    The current [application context](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:application-context@13.4).

## Functions {#sitehandling-base-variants-functions}

The functions provided by
`DefaultFunctionsProvider`
can be used in base variant conditions, **as long as they do not depend on
the current request**.

Base variant conditions are evaluated while the site configuration is loaded
and the `Site` object is built. In that
`site` context the expression language does not receive a request, so the
`request` variable is unavailable. Among the built-in functions this affects
only `ip()`, which reads the client IP from the request and fails with an
exception:

```none
#1686745105 RuntimeException
Using expression language function "ip(devIp)" in a context without request.
```

<!-- TODO: no Markdown rendering for "versionchanged" -->

Until TYPO3 v12, request-dependent functions such as ip() did work in
base variant conditions: their implementation read the client address
directly from the server environment, independent of a request object.
This request-less fallback was deprecated in v12.3 and removed in v13.0,
which is why such conditions now fail with the exception shown above. See
Breaking: #100963.

The following request-independent functions are available:

-   **compatVersion**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `compatVersion("13.4.0")`, `compatVersion("12.4")`

    Match a TYPO3 version.

-   **like**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `like("foobarbaz", "*bar*")`

    A comparison function to compare two strings. The first parameter is the
    "haystack", the second the "needle". Wildcards are allowed.

-   **getenv**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `getenv("TYPO3_BASE_URL")`

    A wrapper for PHPs [getenv()](https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.getenv.php) function. It allows accessing environment
    variables.

-   **date**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* checking the day of the month: `date("j") == 7`

    Get the current date in given format.

-   **feature**

    -   *type:* string
    -   *Example:* `feature("redirects.hitCount")`

    Check whether a feature ("[feature toggle](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:feature-toggles@13.4)") is
    enabled in TYPO3.

-   **traverse**

    -   *type:* array|string

    This function has two parameters:

    -   first parameter is the array to traverse
    -   second parameter is the path to traverse