diff --git a/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index f127d7a..2aec321 100644
--- a/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index 2860b8d..edb924a 100644
--- a/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/generators/production_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index f127d7a..2aec321 100644
--- a/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_python/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index 2860b8d..edb924a 100644
--- a/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/generators/starter_beaker_smart_contract_typescript/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/examples/production_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/production_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index f127d7a..2aec321 100644
--- a/examples/production_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/production_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/examples/starter_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py b/examples/starter_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
index f127d7a..2aec321 100644
--- a/examples/starter_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
+++ b/examples/starter_beaker/smart_contracts/__main__.py
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
diff --git a/template_content/smart_contracts/__main__.py.jinja b/template_content/smart_contracts/__main__.py.jinja
index 75b83eb..5978455 100644
--- a/template_content/smart_contracts/__main__.py.jinja
+++ b/template_content/smart_contracts/__main__.py.jinja
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ logging.basicConfig(
 )
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.info("Loading .env")
+# For manual script execution (bypassing `algokit project deploy`) with a custom .env,
+# modify `load_dotenv()` accordingly. For example, `load_dotenv('.env.localnet')`.
 load_dotenv()
-load_dotenv(".env.localnet")
 root_path = Path(__file__).parent