Guidance for creating, managing, and integrating Prisma Postgres across interactive and programmatic workflows.
Core Workflows
1. Console-first workflow
Use Prisma Console for manual setup and operations:
- Open
https://console.prisma.io - Create/select workspace and project
- Use Studio in the project sidebar to view/edit data
- Retrieve direct connection details from the project UI
2. Quick provisioning with create-db
Use create-db when you need a database immediately:
npx create-db@latest
Aliases:
npx create-pg@latest
npx create-postgres@latest
For app integrations, you can also use the programmatic API (create() / regions()) from the create-db npm package.
Temporary databases auto-delete after ~24 hours unless claimed.
3. Link an existing local project
Use prisma postgres link when the database already exists and you want to wire a local project to it:
prisma postgres link
For CI or other non-interactive environments:
prisma postgres link --api-key "<your-api-key>" --database "db_..."
This flow updates your local .env with DATABASE_URL, then you can run prisma generate and prisma migrate dev.
4. Programmatic provisioning with Management API
Use API endpoints on:
https://api.prisma.io/v1
Explore the schema and endpoints using:
- OpenAPI docs:
https://api.prisma.io/v1/doc - Swagger Editor:
https://api.prisma.io/v1/swagger-editor
Auth options:
- Service token (workspace server-to-server)
- OAuth 2.0 (act on behalf of users)
5. Type-safe integration with Management API SDK
Install and use:
npm install @prisma/management-api-sdk
Use createManagementApiClient for existing tokens, or createManagementApiSdk for OAuth + token refresh.
References
Read a reference only when the task needs that depth:
references/create-db-cli.md— instant databases and current CLI flags (--ttl,--copy,--quiet,--open) · read for fast setup.references/management-api.md— service-token and OAuth API workflows · read for programmatic provisioning.references/management-api-sdk.md— typed SDK usage with token storage · read when integrating from TypeScript/JavaScript.references/console-and-connections.md— Console operations,prisma postgres link, direct TCP connections, serverless-driver choices.