Prisma CLI reference

This document describes the Prisma CLI commands, arguments, and options.

Commands

version (-v)

The version command outputs information about your current prisma version, platform, and engine binaries.

Options

The version command recognizes the following options to modify its behavior:

Examples

Output version information

prisma version

Environment variables loaded from .env
prisma               : 2.21.0-dev.4
@prisma/client       : 2.21.0-dev.4
Current platform     : windows
Query Engine         : query-engine 2fb8f444d9cdf7c0beee7b041194b42d7a9ce1e6 (at C:\Users\veroh\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\@prisma\cli\query-engine-windows.exe)
Migration Engine     : migration-engine-cli 2fb8f444d9cdf7c0beee7b041194b42d7a9ce1e6 (at C:\Users\veroh\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\@prisma\cli\migration-engine-windows.exe)
Format Binary        : prisma-fmt 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e (at node_modules\@prisma\engines\prisma-fmt-windows.exe)
Default Engines Hash : 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e
Studio               : 0.365.0

Output version information (-v)

prisma -v

Environment variables loaded from .env
prisma               : 2.21.0-dev.4
@prisma/client       : 2.21.0-dev.4
Current platform     : windows
Query Engine         : query-engine 2fb8f444d9cdf7c0beee7b041194b42d7a9ce1e6 (at C:\Users\veroh\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\@prisma\cli\query-engine-windows.exe)
Migration Engine     : migration-engine-cli 2fb8f444d9cdf7c0beee7b041194b42d7a9ce1e6 (at C:\Users\veroh\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\@prisma\cli\migration-engine-windows.exe)
Format Binary        : prisma-fmt 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e (at node_modules\@prisma\engines\prisma-fmt-windows.exe)
Default Engines Hash : 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e
Studio               : 0.365.0

Output version information as JSON

prisma version --json

Environment variables loaded from .env
{
  "prisma": "2.21.0-dev.4",
  "@prisma/client": "2.21.0-dev.4",
  "current-platform": "windows",
  "query-engine": "query-engine 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e (at node_modules\\@prisma\\engines\\query-engine-windows.exe)",
  "migration-engine": "migration-engine-cli 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e (at node_modules\\@prisma\\engines\\migration-engine-windows.exe)",
  "format-binary": "prisma-fmt 60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e (at node_modules\\@prisma\\engines\\prisma-fmt-windows.exe)",
  "default-engines-hash": "60ba6551f29b17d7d6ce479e5733c70d9c00860e",
  "studio": "0.365.0"
}

init

Bootstraps a fresh Prisma ORM project within the current directory.

The init command does not interpret any existing files. Instead, it creates a prisma directory containing a bare-bones schema.prisma file within your current directory.

By default, the project sets up a local Prisma Postgres instance but you can choose a different database using the --datasource-provider option.

Arguments

Examples

Run prisma init

prisma init

npx prisma init

Initialized Prisma in your project

  prisma/
    schema.prisma
  prisma.config.ts

Next, choose how you want to set up your database:

CONNECT EXISTING DATABASE:
  1. Configure your DATABASE_URL in `prisma.config.ts`
  2. Run `npx prisma db pull` to introspect your database.

CREATE NEW DATABASE:
  Local: npx prisma dev (runs Postgres locally in your terminal)
  Cloud: npx create-db (creates a free Prisma Postgres database)

  Then, define your models in `prisma/schema.prisma` and run `npx prisma migrate dev` to apply your schema.

Learn more: https://pris.ly/getting-started

Next, run the prisma dev command to interact with your local Prisma Postgres instance (e.g. to run migrations or execute queries).

Run prisma init --datasource-provider sqlite

prisma init --datasource-provider sqlite

The command output contains helpful information on how to use the generated files and begin using Prisma ORM with your project.

Run prisma init --db

prisma init --db

✓ Select an authentication method Google
Authenticating to Prisma Platform via browser.

Visit the following URL in your browser to authenticate:
https://console.prisma.io/auth/cli?state=eyJjb6ll...

Successfully authenticated as [email protected].
Let's set up your Prisma Postgres database!
✓ Select your region: ap-southeast-1 - Asia Pacific (Singapore)
✓ Enter a project name: My Prisma Project
✓ Success! Your Prisma Postgres database is ready ✅

We found an existing schema.prisma file in your current project directory.

--- Database URL ---

Connect Prisma ORM to your Prisma Postgres database with this URL:

--- Next steps ---

Go to https://pris.ly/ppg-init for detailed instructions.

1. Install the Postgres adapter
npm install @prisma/adapter-pg

...and add it to your Prisma Client instance:

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

const connectionString = `${process.env.DATABASE_URL}`;

const adapter = new PrismaPg({ connectionString });
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });

2. Apply migrations
Run the following command to create and apply a migration:
npx prisma migrate dev

3. Manage your data
View and edit your data locally by running this command:
npx prisma studio

...or online in Console:
https://console.prisma.io/cmhyn0uwl0q6903foel16ff31/cmhyn143t074tyLfoezs684ag/cmhyn143t074uylfon8hfre5z/studio

4. Send queries from your app
If you already have an existing app with Prisma ORM, you can now run it and it will send queries against your newly created Prisma Postgres instance.

5. Learn more
For more info, visit the Prisma Postgres docs: https://pris.ly/ppg-docs

The command creates a new Prisma Postgres instance. Note that it requires you to be authenticated with the PDP Console, If you run it for the first time without being authenticated, the command will open the browser for you to log into Console.

Run prisma init --prompt "Simple habit tracker application"

prisma init --prompt "Simple habit tracker application"

The command scaffolds a Prisma schema and deploys it to a fresh Prisma Postgres instance. Note that it requires you to be authenticated with the PDP Console, If you run it for the first time without being authenticated, the command will open the browser for you to log into Console.

Run prisma init --preview-feature

prisma init --preview-feature metrics

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client"
  previewFeatures = ["metrics"]
}

prisma init --preview-feature view --preview-feature metrics

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client"
  previewFeatures = ["views", "metrics"]
}

Generated Assets

prisma/schema.prisma

An initial schema.prisma file to define your schema in:

// This is your Prisma schema file,
// learn more about it in the docs: https://pris.ly/d/prisma-schema

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

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

prisma.config.ts

A TypeScript configuration file for Prisma that defines your datasource URL and other settings:

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

See the Prisma Config reference for more details.

.env

A file to define environment variables for your project:

# Environment variables declared in this file are automatically made available to Prisma.
# See the documentation for more detail: https://pris.ly/d/prisma-schema#using-environment-variables

# Prisma supports the native connection string format for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MongoDB and CockroachDB.
# See the documentation for all the connection string options: https://pris.ly/d/connection-strings

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb"

.gitignore

A file to specify what folders/files git should ignore in your project.

node_modules
# Keep environment variables out of version control
.env

/generated/prisma

Run prisma init --url mysql://user:password@localhost:3306/mydb

The init command with the --url argument allows you to specify a custom datasource URL during Prisma initialization, instead of relying on a placeholder database URL:

prisma init --url mysql://user:password@localhost:3306/mydb

Generated Assets

prisma/schema.prisma

A minimal schema.prisma file to define your schema in:

// This is your Prisma schema file,
// learn more about it in the docs: https://pris.ly/d/prisma-schema

datasource db {
  provider = "mysql"
}

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

prisma.config.ts

A TypeScript configuration file for Prisma with the custom URL:

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

.env

A file to define environment variables for your project:

# Environment variables declared in this file are automatically made available to Prisma.
# See the documentation for more detail: https://pris.ly/d/prisma-schema#using-environment-variables

# Prisma supports the native connection string format for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MongoDB and CockroachDB.
# See the documentation for all the connection string options: https://pris.ly/d/connection-strings

DATABASE_URL="mysql://user:password@localhost:3306/mydb"

generate

The generate command generates assets like Prisma Client based on the generator and data model blocks defined in your prisma/schema.prisma file.

The generate command is most often used to generate Prisma Client with the prisma-client generator. This does the following:

1. Inspects the current directory to find a Prisma Schema to process.
2. Generates a customized Prisma Client based on your schema into the output directory specified in the generator block.

Prerequisites

To use the generate command, you must add a generator definition in your schema.prisma file. The prisma-client generator, used to generate Prisma Client, can be added by including the following in your schema.prisma file:

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

Options

:::warning

Deprecation Warning

As of Prisma 5.2.0, --data-proxy and --accelerate are deprecated in favor of --no-engine as Prisma Client no longer requires an option to work with Prisma Accelerate. All options are available and work similarly, but we recommend --no-engine as it prevents an engine from being downloaded which will greatly impact the size of apps deployed to serverless and edge functions.

:::

Arguments

Examples

Generate Prisma Client using the default schema.prisma path

prisma generate

✔ Generated Prisma Client to ./node_modules/.prisma/client in 61ms

You can now start using Prisma Client in your code:

import { PrismaClient } from '../prisma/generated/client'
// or const { PrismaClient } = require('@prisma/client')

const prisma = new PrismaClient()

Explore the full API: https://pris.ly/d/client

Generate Prisma Client using a non-default schema.prisma path

prisma generate --schema=./alternative/schema.prisma

Continue watching the schema.prisma file for changes to automatically re-generate Prisma Client

prisma generate --watch

Watching... /home/prismauser/prisma/prisma-play/prisma/schema.prisma

✔ Generated Prisma Client to ./node_modules/.prisma/client in 45ms

Run the generate command with only a specific generator

prisma generate --generator client

Run the generate command with multiple specific generators

prisma generate --generator client --generator zod_schemas

Generated Assets

The prisma-client generator creates a customized client for working with your database in a custom output directory specified by the output field - you can customize the output folder.

validate

Validates the Prisma Schema Language of the Prisma schema file.

Arguments

Examples

Validate a schema without errors

prisma validate

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
The schema at /absolute/path/prisma/schema.prisma is valid 🚀

Validate a schema with validation errors

prisma validate

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Error: Schema validation error - Error (query-engine-node-api library)
Error code: P1012
error: The preview feature "unknownFeatureFlag" is not known. Expected one of: [...]
  */}  schema.prisma:3
   |
 2 |     provider        = "prisma-client"
 3 |     previewFeatures = ["unknownFeatureFlag"]
   |

Validation Error Count: 1
[Context: getDmmf]

Prisma CLI Version : 4.5.0

format

Formats the Prisma schema file, which includes validating, formatting, and persisting the schema.

Arguments

Examples

Validate a schema without errors

prisma format

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Formatted prisma/schema.prisma in 116ms �

Formatting a schema with validation errors

prisma format

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Error: Schema validation error - Error (query-engine-node-api library)
Error code: P1012
error: The preview feature "unknownFeatureFlag" is not known. Expected one of: [...]
  */}  schema.prisma:3
   |
 2 |     provider        = "prisma-client"
 3 |     previewFeatures = ["unknownFeatureFlag"]
   |

Validation Error Count: 1
[Context: getDmmf]

Prisma CLI Version : 4.5.0

debug

Prints information for debugging and bug reports.

:::info

This is available from version 5.6.0 and newer.

:::

Arguments

Example

prisma debug

-- Prisma schema --
Path: /prisma/schema.prisma

-- Local cache directory for engines files --
Path: /.cache/prisma

-- Environment variables --
When not set, the line is dimmed and no value is displayed.
When set, the line is bold and the value is inside the `` backticks.

For general debugging
 - CI:
 - DEBUG:
 - NODE_ENV:
 - RUST_LOG:
 - RUST_BACKTRACE:
 - NO_COLOR:
 - TERM: `xterm-256color`
 - NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED:
 - NO_PROXY:
 - http_proxy:
 - HTTP_PROXY:
 - https_proxy:
 - HTTPS_PROXY:

For more information see our [environment variable documentation](/orm/reference/environment-variables-reference)

For hiding messages
 - PRISMA_DISABLE_WARNINGS:
 - PRISMA_HIDE_PREVIEW_FLAG_WARNINGS:
 - PRISMA_HIDE_UPDATE_MESSAGE:

For downloading engines
 - PRISMA_ENGINES_MIRROR:
 - PRISMA_BINARIES_MIRROR (deprecated):
 - PRISMA_ENGINES_CHECKSUM_IGNORE_MISSING:
 - BINARY_DOWNLOAD_VERSION:

For configuring the Query Engine Type
 - PRISMA_CLI_QUERY_ENGINE_TYPE: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_CLIENT_ENGINE_TYPE: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)

For custom engines
 - PRISMA_QUERY_ENGINE_BINARY: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_QUERY_ENGINE_LIBRARY: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_SCHEMA_ENGINE_BINARY:
 - PRISMA_MIGRATION_ENGINE_BINARY:

For the "postinstall" npm hook
 - PRISMA_GENERATE_SKIP_AUTOINSTALL: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_SKIP_POSTINSTALL_GENERATE: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_GENERATE_IN_POSTINSTALL: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)

For "prisma generate"
 - PRISMA_GENERATE_DATAPROXY: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_GENERATE_NO_ENGINE: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)

For Prisma Client
 - PRISMA_SHOW_ALL_TRACES:
 - PRISMA_CLIENT_NO_RETRY (Binary engine only): (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)

For Prisma Migrate
 - PRISMA_SCHEMA_DISABLE_ADVISORY_LOCK:
 - PRISMA_MIGRATE_SKIP_GENERATE: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)
 - PRISMA_MIGRATE_SKIP_SEED: (Not supported in Prisma ORM v7)

For Prisma Studio
 - BROWSER:

-- Terminal is interactive? --
true

-- CI detected? --
false

If you're using an older version of Prisma, you can use this command by running:

npx prisma@latest debug

dev

The dev command starts a local Prisma Postgres database that you can run Prisma ORM commands against. It is useful for development and testing purposes and also allows you to switch to Prisma Postgres in production easily.

Arguments

Examples

Run prisma dev

prisma dev

$ npx prisma dev
Fetching latest updates for this subcommand...
✔  Great Success! 😉👍

   Your  prisma dev  server default is ready and listening on ports 63567-63569.

╭──────────────────────────────╮
│[q]uit  [h]ttp url  [t]cp urls│
╰──────────────────────────────╯

Run prisma dev with a specific name

npx prisma dev --name="mydbname"

This creates a named instance called mydbname that you can later start, stop, or manage using the instance management commands.

Run prisma dev in detached mode

npx prisma dev --detach

This runs the server in the background, freeing up your terminal for other commands. Use prisma dev ls to see running servers and prisma dev stop to stop them.

dev start

Starts existing local Prisma Postgres instances in the background.

:::note

This command only works with instances that already exist.

:::

npx prisma dev start <glob>

<glob> is a placeholder for a glob pattern to specify which local Prisma Postgres instances should be started, for example:

npx prisma dev start mydb # starts a DB called `mydb` in the background (only if it already exists)

To start all databases that begin with mydb (e.g. mydb-dev and mydb-prod), you can use a glob:

npx prisma dev start mydb* # starts all existing DBs starting with `mydb`

This enables background instance management outside of the VS Code extension.

dev ls

Lists all available local Prisma Postgres instances:

npx prisma dev ls

This command shows all instances on your system with their current status and configuration.

dev stop

Stops one or more local Prisma Postgres databases:

npx prisma dev stop <glob>

<glob> is a placeholder for a glob pattern to specify which local Prisma Postgres instances should be stopped, for example:

npx prisma dev stop mydb # stops a DB called `mydb`

To stop all databases that begin with mydb (e.g. mydb-dev and mydb-prod), you can use a glob:

npx prisma dev stop mydb* # stops all DBs starting with `mydb`

:::note

The stop command is interactive and includes safety prompts to prevent accidental operations.

:::

dev rm

Removes the data of one or more local Prisma Postgres databases from your file system:

npx prisma dev rm <glob>

<glob> is a placeholder for a glob pattern to specify which local Prisma Postgres instances should be removed, for example:

npx prisma dev rm mydb # removes a DB called `mydb`

To remove all databases that begin with mydb (e.g. mydb-dev and mydb-prod), you can use a glob:

npx prisma dev rm mydb* # removes all DBs starting with `mydb`

Arguments

:::note

The rm command is interactive and includes safety prompts to prevent accidental data loss.

:::

db

db pull

The db pull command connects to your database and adds Prisma models to your Prisma schema that reflect the current database schema.

:::warning

Warning: The command will overwrite the current schema.prisma file with the new schema. Some manual changes or customization can be lost. Be sure to back up your current schema.prisma file (or commit your current state to version control to be able to revert any changes) before running db pull if it contains important modifications.

:::

:::info

Introspection with the db pull command on the MongoDB connector samples the data instead of reading a schema.

:::

Prerequisites

Before using the db pull command, you must configure your database connection in your prisma.config.ts file.

For example:

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

Options

Arguments

Examples

Analyze the database and write its schema to the schema.prisma file

prisma db pull

Introspecting based on datasource defined in schema.prisma …

✔ Introspected 2 models and wrote them into schema.prisma in 38ms

Run prisma generate to generate Prisma Client.

Specify an alternative schema.prisma file to read and write to

prisma db pull --schema=./alternative/schema.prisma

Introspecting based on datasource defined in alternative/schema.prisma …

✔ Introspected 2 models and wrote them into alternative/schema.prisma in 60ms

Run prisma generate to generate Prisma Client.

Display the generated schema.prisma file instead of writing it to the filesystem

prisma db pull --print

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
  url      = "file:./hello-prisma.db"
}

model User {
  email   String    @unique
  name    String?
  user_id Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  post    Post[]
  profile Profile[]
}

model Post {
  content   String?
  post_id   Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  title     String
  author    User?   @relation(fields: [author_id], references: [user_id])
  author_id Int?
}

model Profile {
  bio        String?
  profile_id Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  user       User    @relation(fields: [user_id], references: [user_id])
  user_id    Int     @unique
}

db push

The db push command pushes the state of your Prisma schema to the database without using migrations. It creates the database if the database does not exist.

This command is a good choice when you do not need to version schema changes, such as during prototyping and local development.

See also:

• Conceptual overview of db push and when to use it over Prisma Migrate
• Schema prototyping with db push

Prerequisites

Before using the db push command, you must configure your database connection in your prisma.config.ts file.

For example:

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

Options

:::warning

The --skip-generate flag was removed in Prisma v7. db push no longer runs prisma generate automatically. Run it explicitly if needed.

:::

Arguments

Examples

Push the schema:

prisma db push

Push the schema, accepting data loss:

prisma db push --accept-data-loss

Push the schema with a custom schema location:

prisma db push --schema=/tmp/schema.prisma

db seed

db seed changed from Preview to Generally Available (GA) in 3.0.1.

See Seeding your database

Options

The -- argument/ delimiter/ double-dash is available from version 4.15.0 or later.

Examples

prisma db seed

db execute

:::info

The db execute command is Generally Available in versions 3.13.0 and later. If you're using a version between 3.9.0 and 3.13.0, it is available behind a --preview-feature CLI flag.

:::

:::warning

This command is currently not supported on MongoDB.

:::

This command applies a SQL script to the database without interacting with the Prisma migrations table. The datasource URL configuration is read from the Prisma config file (e.g., prisma.config.ts).

The output of the command is connector-specific, and is not meant for returning data, but only to report success or failure.

See also:

• Migration troubleshooting in production

Prerequisites

Before using the db execute command, you must configure your database connection in your prisma.config.ts file.

For example:

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

This how your prisma.config.ts file should look like:

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

Options

* Either --file or --stdin is required to provide the script input.

:::info

Prisma v7 breaking change: The --schema and --url options have been removed. Configure your database connection in prisma.config.ts instead.

:::

Examples

• Execute the content of a SQL script file using the datasource configured in prisma.config.ts:

  bashCopy

  prisma db execute --file ./script.sql
  

• Execute the SQL script from stdin using the configured datasource:

  bashCopy

  echo 'TRUNCATE TABLE dev;' | prisma db execute --stdin
  

Prisma Migrate

Prisma Migrate changed from Preview to Generally Available (GA) in 2.19.0.

:::info

Does not apply for MongoDB

Instead of migrate dev and related commands, db push is used for MongoDB.

:::

migrate dev

For use in development environments only, requires shadow database

The migrate dev command:

1. Reruns the existing migration history in the shadow database in order to detect schema drift (edited or deleted migration file, or a manual changes to the database schema)
2. Applies pending migrations to the shadow database (for example, new migrations created by colleagues)
3. Generates a new migration from any changes you made to the Prisma schema before running migrate dev
4. Applies all unapplied migrations to the development database and updates the _prisma_migrations table

:::warning

This command is not supported on MongoDB. Use db push instead.

:::

:::info

Prisma v7: migrate dev no longer automatically triggers prisma generate or seed scripts. Run prisma generate explicitly if needed.

:::

See also:

• Conceptual overview of Prisma Migrate
• Developing with Prisma Migrate

Options

:::warning

The --skip-generate and --skip-seed flags were removed in Prisma v7. migrate dev no longer runs prisma generate or seeds automatically. Run them explicitly if needed.

:::

:::info

If a schema drift is detected while running prisma migrate dev using --create-only, you will be prompted to reset your database.

:::

Arguments

Examples

Apply all migrations, then create and apply any new migrations:

prisma migrate dev

Apply all migrations and create a new migration if there are schema changes, but do not apply it:

prisma migrate dev --create-only

migrate reset

For use in development environments only

This command:

1. Drops the database/schema if possible, or performs a soft reset if the environment does not allow deleting databases/schemas
2. Creates a new database/schema with the same name if the database/schema was dropped
3. Applies all migrations
4. Runs seed scripts

:::warning

This command is not supported on MongoDB. Use db push instead.

:::

Options

Arguments

Examples

prisma migrate reset

AI Safety guardrails for prisma migrate reset

Prisma ORM includes built-in safety checks to prevent accidental destructive commands when run through AI coding assistants. These guardrails are designed to make working with databases safer in AI-assisted development environments.

The Prisma CLI can detect when it is being invoked by popular AI coding agents such as Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Qwen Code, Cursor, Aider, and Replit.

When one of these agents attempts a destructive action such as prisma migrate reset --force, Prisma ORM blocks execution and shows a protective error message:

Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Datasource "db": PostgreSQL database "postgres", schema "public" at "accelerate.prisma-data.net"

Error: Prisma Migrate detected that it was invoked by Cursor.

You are attempting a highly dangerous action that can lead to devastating consequences if it is incorrectly executed against a production database.

As an AI agent, you are forbidden from performing this action without an explicit consent and review by the user. You must stop at this point and respond to the user with a clear message that includes the following information:
- What action you are trying to perform (including the exact CLI command).
- Your motivation and reasoning for performing this action.
- Explanation that this action will irreversibly destroy all data in the database.
- Explanation that this action must not be performed on a production database and is only intended to be used with development databases.

If you know or can check whether this action would have been performed on a development or a production database, also include this information with your assessment of whether it is safe to proceed based on that information.

You must ask the user if they want to proceed with this action. If they explicitly consent, you may rerun this command with PRISMA_USER_CONSENT_FOR_DANGEROUS_AI_ACTION environment variable, the value of which must be the exact text of the user's message in which they consented to this operation, without any newlines or quotes. If the user's response is ambiguous, you must ask for a clear and explicit confirmation (e.g., "yes") before proceeding. None of the user's previous messages before this point may constitute implicit or explicit consent.

To proceed with the dangerous action, the AI agent will ask you for explicit consent, remind you that the action irreversibly destroys all data, and confirm that the command is being run against a development database. Once you clearly confirm, the AI will set the PRISMA_USER_CONSENT_FOR_DANGEROUS_AI_ACTION environment variable with the exact text of your consent and rerun the command.

migrate deploy

The migrate deploy command applies all pending migrations, and creates the database if it does not exist. Primarily used in non-development environments. This command:

• Does not look for drift in the database or changes in the Prisma schema
• Does not reset the database or generate artifacts
• Does not rely on a shadow database

:::warning

This command is not supported on MongoDB. Use db push instead.

:::

Options

Arguments

Examples

prisma migrate deploy

migrate resolve

The migrate resolve command allows you to solve migration history issues in production by marking a failed migration as already applied (supports baselining) or rolled back.

Note that this command can only be used with a failed migration. If you try to use it with a successful migration you will receive an error.

:::warning

This command is not supported on MongoDB. Use db push instead.

:::

Options

Arguments

You must specify either --rolled-back or --applied.

Examples

prisma migrate resolve --applied 20201231000000_add_users_table

prisma migrate resolve --rolled-back 20201231000000_add_users_table

migrate status

The prisma migrate status command looks up the migrations in ./prisma/migrations/* folder and the entries in the _prisma_migrations table and compiles information about the state of the migrations in your database.

:::warning

This command is not supported on MongoDB. Use db push instead.

:::

For example:

Status
3 migrations found in prisma/migrations

Your local migration history and the migrations table from your database are different:

The last common migration is: 20201127134938_new_migration

The migration have not yet been applied:
20201208100950_test_migration

The migrations from the database are not found locally in prisma/migrations:
20201208100950_new_migration

In versions 4.3.0 and later, prisma migrate status exits with exit code 1 in the following cases:

• a database connection error occurs
• there are migration files in the migrations directory that have not been applied to the database
• the migration history in the migrations directory has diverged from the state of the database
• no migration table is found
• failed migrations are found

Options

Arguments

Examples

prisma migrate status

migrate diff

:::info

This command is only partially supported for MongoDB. See the command options below for details.

:::

This command compares two database schema sources and outputs a description of a migration taking the first to the state of the second.

The output can be given either as a human-readable summary (the default) or an executable script.

:::warning

The migrate diff command can only compare database features that are supported by Prisma. If two databases differ only in unsupported features, such as views or triggers, then migrate diff will not show any difference between them.

:::

The format of the command is:

prisma migrate diff --from-... <source1> --to-... <source2>

where the --from-... and --to-... options are selected based on the type of database schema source. The supported types of sources are:

• live databases
• migration histories
• Prisma schema data models
• an empty schema

Both schema sources must use the same database provider. For example, a diff comparing a PostgreSQL data source with a SQLite data source is not supported.

See also:

• Migration troubleshooting in production

Prerequisites

Before using the migrate diff command, if you are using --from-config-datasource or --to-config-datasource, you must configure your database connection in your prisma.config.ts file.

For example:

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

Options

:::info

Prisma v7 breaking change: The --from-url, --to-url, --from-schema-datasource, --to-schema-datasource, and --shadow-database-url options have been removed. Use --from-config-datasource and --to-config-datasource instead, which read the database URL from prisma.config.ts.

:::

One of the following --from-... options is required:

One of the following --to-... options is required:

Other options:

Examples

• Compare the configured database to a Prisma schema (e.g., to roll forward after a migration failed):

  bashCopy

  prisma migrate diff \
    --from-config-datasource \
    --to-schema=next_datamodel.prisma \
    --script
  

• Compare a Prisma schema to the configured database:

  bashCopy

  prisma migrate diff \
    --from-schema=schema.prisma \
    --to-config-datasource \
    --script
  

• Compare the migrations directory to the configured database (e.g., to generate a migration for a hotfix already applied on production):

  bashCopy

  prisma migrate diff \
    --from-migrations ./migrations \
    --to-config-datasource \
    --script
  

• Pipe the output to prisma db execute:

  bashCopy

  prisma migrate diff \
    --from-config-datasource \
    --to-schema=schema.prisma \
    --script | prisma db execute --stdin
  

• Detect if both sources are in sync (exits with code 2 if changes are detected):

  bashCopy

  prisma migrate diff \
    --exit-code \
    --from-config-datasource \
    --to-schema=schema.prisma
  

Prisma Data Platform

platform (Early Access)

The platform command provides access to the Prisma Data Platform through the Prisma CLI starting in version 5.10.0 or later.

• Authentication:
  • platform auth login: Opens a browser window for login or account creation.
  • platform auth logout: Logs out of the platform.
  • platform auth show: Displays information about the currently authenticated user.
• Workspace Management:
  • platform workspace show: Lists all workspaces available to your account.
• Project Management:
  • platform project show: Lists all projects within the specified workspace.
  • platform project create: Creates a new project within the specified workspace.
  • platform project delete: Deletes the specified project.
• Environment Management:
  • platform environment show: Lists all environments for the specified project.
  • platform environment create: Creates a new environment within the specified project.
  • platform environment delete: Deletes the specified environment.
• API Key Management:
  • platform apikey show: Lists all API keys for the specified environment.
  • platform apikey create: Creates a new API key for the specified environment.
  • platform apikey delete: Deletes the specified API key.
• Prisma Accelerate:
  • platform accelerate enable: Enables Prisma Accelerate for the specified environment.
  • platform accelerate disable: Disables Prisma Accelerate for the specified environment.

You can find the complete list of available commands with the arguments here.

mcp

Starts the Prisma MCP server.

Studio

studio

The studio command allows you to interact with and manage your data interactively. It does this by starting a local web server with a web app configured with your project's data schema and records.

Prisma ORM v7 introduces a more stable version of Prisma Studio with improved performance and a modernized architecture.

:::info[Supported databases]

Prisma Studio currently supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. Support for CockroachDB and MongoDB is not available yet but may be added in future releases.

For detailed database support information, including SQLite requirements, see Databases supported by Prisma Studio.

:::

Prerequisites

Before using the studio command, you must configure your database connection in your prisma.config.ts file.

For example:

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

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
}

import { defineConfig, env } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env("DATABASE_URL"),
  },
});

Options

The studio command recognizes the following options:

Arguments

Examples

Start Studio on the default port and open a new browser tab to it

prisma studio

Start Studio on a different port and open a new browser tab to it

prisma studio --port 7777

Start Studio and open a Firefox tab to it

prisma studio --browser firefox

Start Studio without opening a new browser tab to it

prisma studio --browser none

Start Studio with a custom Prisma config file

prisma studio --config=./prisma.config.ts

Start Studio with a direct database connection string

prisma studio --url="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/dbname"

Using a HTTP proxy for the CLI

Prisma CLI supports custom HTTP proxies. This is particularly relevant when being behind a corporate firewall.

To activate usage of the proxy, provide either of the following environment variables:

• HTTP_PROXY or http_proxy: Proxy URL for http traffic, for example http://localhost:8080
• HTTPS_PROXY or https_proxy: Proxy URL for https traffic, for example https://localhost:8080

npx create-db

The create-db command provisions a temporary Prisma Postgres database with a single command. This is a standalone utility that can be invoked using npx. It's ideal for quickly testing, prototyping, or integrating with Prisma Postgres.

You can run the following variants:

Each database created with these commands:

• Is available for 24 hours by default.
• Can be claimed for free to make it permanent using the URL displayed in the CLI output.

For full usage details, options (such as --region and --interactive), and examples, see the documentation.