Connecting to PostgreSQL

Connection Details#

Find your connection details on the PostgreSQL database page:

Connection Strings#

PostgreSQL URI#

postgresql://USERNAME:PASSWORD@127.0.0.1:5432/DBNAME

Node.js (pg / node-postgres)#

const { Pool } = require('pg');

const pool = new Pool({
  host:     '127.0.0.1',
  port:     5432,
  database: 'myuser_mydb',
  user:     'myuser_mydb_u',
  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
});

Node.js (Prisma)#

In .env:

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://myuser_mydb_u:PASSWORD@127.0.0.1:5432/myuser_mydb?schema=public"

Python (psycopg2 / Django)#

# Django settings.py
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE':   'django.db.backends.postgresql',
        'NAME':     'myuser_mydb',
        'USER':     'myuser_mydb_u',
        'PASSWORD': os.environ['DB_PASSWORD'],
        'HOST':     '127.0.0.1',
        'PORT':     '5432',
    }
}

Ruby on Rails#

# database.yml
production:
  adapter:  postgresql
  host:     127.0.0.1
  port:     5432
  database: myuser_mydb
  username: myuser_mydb_u
  password: <%= ENV['DB_PASSWORD'] %>

Storing Passwords Securely#

Never hardcode database passwords in your source code. Store them in environment variables:

• For Node.js apps managed by PM2: use a .env file in your project root and load it with dotenv
• For Laravel: the .env file in the project root
• For any app: set environment variables before starting the process

Connecting from the Terminal#

Via SSH or the Web Terminal:

psql -U myuser_mydb_u -d myuser_mydb -h 127.0.0.1
# Enter password when prompted

Remote Access#

PostgreSQL is bound to 127.0.0.1 by default — remote connections are not allowed. To connect from your local machine, use an SSH tunnel:

ssh -L 5433:127.0.0.1:5432 your-server-user@your-server-ip
# Then connect locally to:
psql -U myuser_mydb_u -d myuser_mydb -h 127.0.0.1 -p 5433

Next Steps#

• Deploying a Node.js App
• Creating a PostgreSQL Database