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

• 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	Mongo-specific workflow; do not apply SQL driver-adapter guidance
SQL Server	sqlserver	Microsoft ecosystem
CockroachDB	cockroachdb	Distributed SQL, Postgres-compatible
Prisma Postgres	postgresql	Managed serverless database

Configuration Files

Your configuration shape depends on the provider and Prisma major version:

1. All providers use prisma/schema.prisma.
2. Prisma 7 SQL setups typically use prisma.config.ts for datasource URLs.
3. MongoDB projects should stay on Prisma 6.x, keep url = env("DATABASE_URL") in the schema, and continue using the classic MongoDB setup.

Driver Adapters