diff --git a/.env b/.env.example
similarity index 62%
rename from .env
rename to .env.example
index a92194e41..a4224f84b 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-# follow the instructions in the [Firebase Documentation](https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging/auth-server#provide-credentials-manually) to create a service account. after you create a service account, and download the json file. then change the value of `GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS` to the path of the json file you downloaded.
+# follow the instructions in the [Firebase Documentation](https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging/auth-server#provide-credentials-manually) to create a service account. after you create a service account, and download the json file then change the value of `GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS` to the path of the json file you downloaded.
 GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/path/to/your/firebase/file.json"
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7e9e52aaf..e5ca28a4d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,24 @@
-.DS_Store
+# Generated by Cargo
+# will have compiled files and executables
+debug/
 target/
+
+# Remove Cargo.lock from gitignore if creating an executable, leave it for libraries
+# More information here https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/guide/cargo-toml-vs-cargo-lock.html
 Cargo.lock
+
+# These are backup files generated by rustfmt
+**/*.rs.bk
+
+# MSVC Windows builds of rustc generate these, which store debugging information
+*.pdb
+
+.DS_Store
+
 .direnv
 .idea/
+
+# local env files
+# do not commit any .env files to git, except for the .env.example file. https://create.t3.gg/en/usage/env-variables#using-environment-variables
+.env
+.env*.local
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5918e7c65..ff7e8150b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ This fork is a rewrite to use Google's HTTP v1 API.
 
 This library expects the Google credentials JSON location to be 
 defined as `GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS` in the `.env` file.
+Please follow the instructions in the [Firebase Documentation](https://firebase.google.com/docs/cloud-messaging/auth-server#provide-credentials-manually) to create a service account.
 
 ## Examples
 
diff --git a/examples/simple_sender.rs b/examples/simple_sender.rs
index c047f2f63..6a634b801 100644
--- a/examples/simple_sender.rs
+++ b/examples/simple_sender.rs
@@ -12,15 +12,12 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
     pretty_env_logger::init();
 
     let mut device_token = String::new();
-    let mut api_key = String::new();
 
     {
         let mut ap = ArgumentParser::new();
         ap.set_description("A simple FCM notification sender");
         ap.refer(&mut device_token)
             .add_option(&["-t", "--device_token"], Store, "Device token");
-        ap.refer(&mut api_key)
-            .add_option(&["-k", "--api_key"], Store, "API key");
         ap.parse_args_or_exit();
     }