Prisma Postgres

Prisma Postgres provides a serverless PostgreSQL database with a generous free tier. It offers instant provisioning, automatic scaling, and built-in connection pooling, perfect for serverless environments like Val Town.

1. Create an instant database

The fastest way to get a Prisma Postgres database is via the CLI. Run this command in your terminal:

npx create-db --json

You’ll get a response like this:

{
  "connectionString": "postgresql://...@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require",
  "claimUrl": "https://create-db.prisma.io/claim?projectID=...",
  "deletionDate": "2025-11-27T11:03:38.153Z",
  "region": "ap-southeast-1",
  "name": "2025-11-26T11:03:34.105Z",
  "projectId": "proj_..."
}

Copy the connectionString value. You’ll need this to connect from Val Town.

2. Save your connection string

Go to val.town and click Env Variables in the left sidebar.

Click New env variable, then set the key to PRISMA_POSTGRES_URL and paste your connection string as the value.

3. Create your first table

Copy and paste this val to create a table:

import { Client } from "jsr:@db/postgres";

const client = new Client(Deno.env.get("PRISMA_POSTGRES_URL"));
await client.connect();

await client.queryObject`
  CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT NOT NULL,
    email TEXT NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
  )
`;

console.log("Table created!");
await client.end();

4. Insert some data

Use template strings to safely insert data (this prevents SQL injection):

import { Client } from "jsr:@db/postgres";

const client = new Client(Deno.env.get("PRISMA_POSTGRES_URL"));
await client.connect();

await client.queryObject`
  INSERT INTO users (name, email)
  VALUES ('Alice', 'alice@example.com')
`;

await client.queryObject`
  INSERT INTO users (name, email)
  VALUES ('Bob', 'bob@example.com')
`;

console.log("Data inserted!");
await client.end();

5. Query your data

Get back the data you just inserted:

import { Client } from "jsr:@db/postgres";

const client = new Client(Deno.env.get("PRISMA_POSTGRES_URL"));
await client.connect();

const result = await client.queryObject`
  SELECT id, name, email, created_at
  FROM users
  ORDER BY id
`;

console.log(result.rows);
await client.end();

6. Query with parameters

For dynamic queries, use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection:

import { Client } from "jsr:@db/postgres";

const client = new Client(Deno.env.get("PRISMA_POSTGRES_URL"));
await client.connect();

const name = "Alice";
const result = await client.queryObject`
  SELECT id, name, email
  FROM users
  WHERE name = ${name}
`;

console.log(result.rows);
await client.end();