Database Configuration & Management in Prisma

From the Prisma ORM cheat sheet · Prisma Migrations & Database Management · verified Jul 2026

Database Configuration & Management

Configure database connections, manage schema, and handle multiple environments

typescript
// schema.prisma
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
  output   = "./generated/client"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
  url      = env("DATABASE_URL")
  // Shadow database for migrations
  shadowDatabaseUrl = env("SHADOW_DATABASE_URL")
}

// .env file
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb"
SHADOW_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/shadow"

// BASH_BLOCK:
# Initialize Prisma in project
npx prisma init

# Generate Prisma Client
npx prisma generate

# Open Prisma Studio GUI
npx prisma studio

# Format schema file
npx prisma format

# Validate schema
npx prisma validate
💡 Use DATABASE_URL environment variable
⚠️ Never commit .env files with credentials
📌 Shadow database required for migrations
✅ Use connection pooling in production

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