Connecting to your database
Explore the options for connecting to your Postgres database.
Supabase provides several options for programmatically connecting to your Postgres database:
- Programmatic access using the Data APIs
- Direct connections using the built-in Postgres connection system
- Connection pooling for scalable connections
Data APIs#
Supabase provides auto-updating Data APIs. These are the easiest way to get started if you are managing data (fetching, inserting, updating). We provide several types of API to suit your preferences:
- REST: interact with your database through a REST interface.
- GraphQL: interact with your database through a GraphQL interface.
- Realtime: listen to database changes over websockets.
Direct connections#
Every Supabase project provides a full Postgres database. You can connect to the database using any tool which supports Postgres. Direct connections are on port 5432. You can find the connection string in the Database settings inside the dashboard:
- Go to the
Settingssection. - Click
Database. - Find your Connection Info and Connection String.
Connection pooler#
Every Supabase project comes with a connection pooler for managing connections to your Postgres database. A connection pooler is useful for managing a large number of temporary connections - for example, if you are using Prisma, Drizzle, Kysely, or anything deployed to a Serverless environment (AWS Lambdas or Edge Functions). You can find the connection pool config in the Database settings inside the dashboard:
- Go to the
Settingssection. - Click
Database. - Find your Connection Info and Connection String. Connection pooling is on port
6543.
Choosing a connection method#
- The Data APIs provide programmatic access and have built-in connection pooling. You can use these for all browser and application interactions. We recommend using these wherever possible.
- A "direct connection" is Postgres' native connection system. You should use this for tools which are always alive - usually installed on a long-running server, like Node.js, Ruby, Python, etc.
- A "connection pooler" is a tool which keeps connections "alive". You should use this for serverless functions and tools which disconnect from the database frequently, like Prisma, Drizzle, Kysely, etc.
Why would you use a connection pool? Primarily because the way that Postgres handles connections isn't very scalable for a large number of temporary connections. You can use these simple questions to determine which connection method to use:
- Are you connecting to a database and maintaining a connection? If yes, use a direct connection.
- Are you connecting to your database and then disconnecting immediately (e.g. a serverless environment)? If yes, use a connection pool.
Connecting with SSL#
You should connect to your database using SSL wherever possible, to prevent snooping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
You can obtain your connection info and Server root certificate from your application's dashboard:
Integrations#
Connecting with Drizzle#
Drizzle ORM is a TypeScript ORM for SQL databases designed with maximum type safety in mind. You can use their ORM to connect to your database.
Install
Install Drizzle and related dependencies.
_10npm i drizzle-orm postgres_10npm i -D drizzle-kit
Create your models
Create a schema.ts file and define your models.
_10import { pgTable, serial, text, varchar } from "drizzle-orm/pg-core";_10_10export const users = pgTable('users', {_10 id: serial('id').primaryKey(),_10 fullName: text('full_name'),_10 phone: varchar('phone', { length: 256 }),_10});
Connect
Connect to your database using the Connection Pooler for serverless environments, and the Direct Connection for long-running servers.
_11import { drizzle } from 'drizzle-orm/postgres-js'_11import postgres from 'postgres'_11import { users } from './schema'_11_11const connectionString = process.env.DATABASE_URL_11_11// Disable prefetch as it is not supported for "Transaction" pool mode_11const client = postgres(connectionString, { prepare: false })_11const db = drizzle(client);_11_11const allUsers = await db.select().from(users);
Connecting with pgAdmin#
pgAdmin is a GUI tool for managing Postgres databases. You can use it to connect to your database via SSL:
Register
Register a new Postgres server.
Name
Name your server.
Connect
Add the connection info. You can use the "Direct connection" config, which you can find in your Supabase dashboard.
SSL
Navigate to the Parameters tab and select connection parameter as Root Certificate. Next navigate to the Root certificate input, it will open up a file-picker modal. Select the certificate you downloaded from your Supabase dashboard and save the server details. PgAdmin should now be able to connect to your Postgres via SSL.
Connecting with psql#
psql is a command-line tool that comes with Postgres.
Assuming you've downloaded your SSL certificate to $HOME/Downloads/prod-supabase.cer, and your host address is db.ref.supabase.co you connect to your database via SSL:
_10psql "sslmode=verify-full sslrootcert=$HOME/Downloads/prod-supabase.cer host=db.ref.supabase.co dbname=postgres user=postgres"
Connecting with Postgres.js#
Postgres.js is a full-featured PostgreSQL client for Node.js and Deno.
Install
Install Postgres.js and related dependencies.
_10npm i postgres
Connect
Create a db.js file with the connection details. Use the Connection Pooler for serverless environments, and the Direct Connection for long-running servers.
_10// db.js_10import postgres from 'postgres'_10_10const connectionString = process.env.DATABASE_URL_10const sql = postgres(connectionString)_10_10export default sql
Execute commands
Use the connection to execute commands.
_11import sql from './db.js'_11_11async function getUsersOver(age) {_11 const users = await sql`_11 select name, age_11 from users_11 where age > ${ age }_11 `_11 // users = Result [{ name: "Walter", age: 80 }, { name: 'Murray', age: 68 }, ...]_11 return users_11}
How connection pooling works#
A "connection pool" is a system (external to Postgres) which manages Postgres connections.
When a client makes a request, the pooler "allocates" an available connection to the client. When the client transaction or session is completed the connection is returned to the pool and is free to be used by another client.
There are several pool modes, each handling connections differently:
Session#
When a new client connects, a connection is assigned to the client until it disconnects. Afterward, the connection is returned back to the pool.
All Postgres features can be used with this option.
Transaction#
This is the suggested option for serverless functions. A connection is assigned to the client for the duration of a transaction. Two consecutive transactions from the same client could be executed over two different connections. Some session-based Postgres features such as prepared statements are not available with this option.
Statement#
This is the most granular option. Connections are returned to the pool after every statement. Transactions with multiple statements are not allowed. This is best used when AUTOCOMMIT is in use.
Supavisor vs PgBouncer#
Supabase previously used PgBouncer for connection pooling. We have now deprecated PgBouncer in favor of Supavisor. Supavisor is available on all new and existing projects.
Supavisor is a new connection pooler by Supabase that runs on a high-availability cluster, segregated from your database. This means more resources are available for your database. No Application changes are required to switch from PgBouncer to Supavisor, you simply need to choose the new connection string from the "Connection Pooling" section on Database settings.
On 15th January 2024 PgBouncer will be disabled. Additionally, your Supabase database domain (db.projectref.supabase.co) will start resolving to an IPv6 address. No changes are required if your network supports IPv6. Otherwise, update your applications to use Supavisor which will continue to support IPv4 connections.