diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 7580023..9a888a7 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ APP_ENV=dev
 APP_DEBUG=true
 WEB_URL=http://localhost:3000
 
+DB_CONNECT=true
 DB_HOST=localhost
 DB_PORT=3306
 DB_DATABASE=tonic
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ DB_USERNAME=root
 DB_PASSWORD=
 DB_LOGGING=true
 
+OS_CONNECT=true
 OS_HOST=http://localhost:9200
 OS_USERNAME=admin
-OS_PASSWORD=admin
\ No newline at end of file
+OS_PASSWORD=admin
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index 0609a51..f3e622a 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -33,33 +33,38 @@ func DURL() string {
 func Setup() {
 	var err error
 	var logMode = logger.Error
+
 	if setting.Database.Logging == "true" {
 		logMode = logger.Info
 	}
-	Db, err = gorm.Open(
-		mysql.New(mysql.Config{
-			DSN: DSN()},
-		),
-		&gorm.Config{
-			Logger: logger.Default.LogMode(logMode),
-		},
-	)
 
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("gorm.DB err: %v", err)
+	if setting.Database.Connect == "true" {
+		Db, err = gorm.Open(
+			mysql.New(mysql.Config{
+				DSN: DSN()},
+			),
+			&gorm.Config{
+				Logger: logger.Default.LogMode(logMode),
+			},
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("gorm.DB err: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 
-	Os, err = opensearch.NewClient(opensearch.Config{
-		Transport: &http.Transport{
-			TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true},
-		},
-		Addresses: []string{setting.Opensearch.Address},
-		Username:  setting.Opensearch.Username,
-		Password:  setting.Opensearch.Password,
-	})
+	if setting.Opensearch.Connect == "true" {
+		Os, err = opensearch.NewClient(opensearch.Config{
+			Transport: &http.Transport{
+				TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true},
+			},
+			Addresses: []string{setting.Opensearch.Address},
+			Username:  setting.Opensearch.Username,
+			Password:  setting.Opensearch.Password,
+		})
 
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("opensearch.NewClient err: %v", err)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("opensearch.NewClient err: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 2e19b9d..e1ac826 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ Tonic is a web application framework that supplies tools and libraries on top of
 
 ## Getting Started
 
+### environment variables
+
+Take a look at [.env.example](https://github.com/fumeapp/tonic/blob/main/.env.example) for an example of how to set up environment variables. Copy it to `.env` and modify them to your needs
+* Any ENV variable you do not set will default to what is in `.env.example`
+* Make sure to set DB_CONNECT=true if you want to use the MySQL database
+* Make sure to set OS_CONNECT=true if you want to use the Opensearch database
+
+
 ### Endpoint Configuration
 Define an endpoint that you can call locally and remotely.
 * In this example we bind `/` to a standard JSON response
diff --git a/setting/database.go b/setting/database.go
index 547ca37..d8ddcb4 100644
--- a/setting/database.go
+++ b/setting/database.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package setting
 
 type DatabaseSetting struct {
-	Driver      string
+	Connect     string
 	Host        string
 	Database    string
 	Username    string
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ var Database = &DatabaseSetting{}
 
 func DatabaseSetup() *DatabaseSetting {
 
+	Database.Connect = env("DB_CONNECT", "false")
 	Database.Logging = env("DB_LOGGING", "false")
-	Database.Driver = env("DB_DRIVER", "mysql")
 	Database.Host = env("DB_HOST", "localhost")
 	Database.Database = env("DB_DATABASE", "tonic")
 	Database.Username = env("DB_USERNAME", "root")
diff --git a/setting/opensearch.go b/setting/opensearch.go
index 687f6f6..2225cdb 100644
--- a/setting/opensearch.go
+++ b/setting/opensearch.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package setting
 
 type OpensearchSetting struct {
+	Connect  string
 	Address  string
 	Username string
 	Password string
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ var Opensearch = &OpensearchSetting{}
 
 func OpensearchSetup() *OpensearchSetting {
 
+	Opensearch.Connect = env("OS_CONNECT", "false")
 	Opensearch.Address = env("OS_HOST", "http://localhost:9200")
 	Opensearch.Username = env("OS_USERNAME", "admin")
 	Opensearch.Password = env("OS_PASSWORD", "admin")
diff --git a/setting/setting.go b/setting/setting.go
index 5fd4637..9b4c8ac 100644
--- a/setting/setting.go
+++ b/setting/setting.go
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ func env(key string, config string) string {
 }
 
 func Setup() (*CoreSetting, *DatabaseSetting, *OpensearchSetting) {
-	if err := godotenv.Load(); err != nil {
-	}
+	_ = godotenv.Load()
 	return CoreSetup(), DatabaseSetup(), OpensearchSetup()
 }
 
@@ -25,3 +24,7 @@ func IsDev() bool {
 func IsDebug() bool {
 	return env("APP_DEBUG", "false") == "true"
 }
+
+func GetWebUrl() string {
+	return env("WEB_URL", "http://localhost:3000")
+}