Prisma Database Setup

Comprehensive guides for configuring Prisma ORM with various database providers.

When to Apply

Reference this skill when:

•Initializing a new Prisma project
•Switching database providers
•Configuring connection strings and environment variables
•Troubleshooting database connection issues
•Setting up database-specific features
•Generating and instantiating Prisma Client

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Provider Guides	CRITICAL	provider names
2	Prisma Postgres	HIGH	`prisma-postgres`
3	Client Setup	CRITICAL	`prisma-client-setup`

System Prerequisites (Prisma ORM 7)

•Node.js 20.19.0+
•TypeScript 5.4.0+

Bun Runtime

If you're using Bun, run Prisma CLI commands with bunx --bun prisma ... so Prisma uses the Bun runtime instead of falling back to Node.js.

Supported Databases

Database	Provider String	Notes
PostgreSQL	`postgresql`	Default, full feature support
MySQL	`mysql`	Widespread support, some JSON diffs
SQLite	`sqlite`	Local file-based, no enum/scalar lists
MongoDB	`mongodb`	NOT SUPPORTED IN v7 (Use v6)
SQL Server	`sqlserver`	Microsoft ecosystem
CockroachDB	`cockroachdb`	Distributed SQL, Postgres-compatible
Prisma Postgres	`postgresql`	Managed serverless database

Configuration Files

Prisma v7 uses two main files for configuration:

•prisma/schema.prisma: Defines the datasource block.
•prisma.config.ts: Configures the connection URL (replaces env loading in schema).

Driver Adapters (Prisma ORM 7)

Prisma ORM 7 uses the query compiler by default, which requires a driver adapter. Choose the adapter and driver for your database and pass the adapter to PrismaClient.

Database	Adapter	JS Driver
PostgreSQL	`@prisma/adapter-pg`	`pg`
CockroachDB	`@prisma/adapter-pg`	`pg`
Prisma Postgres	`@prisma/adapter-ppg`	`@prisma/ppg`
MySQL / MariaDB	`@prisma/adapter-mariadb`	`mariadb`
SQLite	`@prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3`	`better-sqlite3`
SQLite (Turso/LibSQL)	`@prisma/adapter-libsql`	`@libsql/client`
SQL Server	`@prisma/adapter-mssql`	`node-mssql`

Example (PostgreSQL):

import 'dotenv/config'
import { PrismaClient } from '../generated/client'
import { PrismaPg } from '@prisma/adapter-pg'

const adapter = new PrismaPg({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })

Prisma Client Setup (Required)

Prisma Client must be installed and generated for any database.

•

Install Prisma CLI and Prisma Client:

bash

npm install prisma --save-dev
npm install @prisma/client

•

Add a generator block (output is required in Prisma v7):

prisma

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

•
Generate Prisma Client:
bash
```
npx prisma generate
```

•

Instantiate Prisma Client with the database-specific driver adapter:

typescript

import { PrismaClient } from '../generated/client'
import { PrismaPg } from '@prisma/adapter-pg'

const adapter = new PrismaPg({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })

•
Re-run prisma generate after every schema change.

Quick Reference

PostgreSQL

prisma

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

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

MySQL

prisma

datasource db {
  provider = "mysql"
}

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

SQLite

prisma

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

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

MongoDB (Prisma v6 only)

prisma

datasource db {
  provider = "mongodb"
  url      = env("DATABASE_URL")
}

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
}

Rule Files

See individual rule files for detailed setup instructions:

code

references/postgresql.md
references/mysql.md
references/sqlite.md
references/mongodb.md
references/sqlserver.md
references/cockroachdb.md
references/prisma-postgres.md
references/prisma-client-setup.md

How to Use

Choose the provider reference file for your database, then apply references/prisma-client-setup.md to complete client generation and adapter setup.