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Setting Up Prisma Client

Prisma Client requires configuration to connect to your database. In Prisma 7, you must use either a driver adapter or Prisma Accelerate.

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Installation

Install Prisma Client in your project: 
npm install @prisma/client
After generating your Prisma schema, run: 
prisma generate
This generates the Prisma Client based on your schema.

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Constructor Options

Prisma Client accepts a configuration object with the following options:

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Required: Database Connection

You must provide either adapter or accelerateUrl (mutually exclusive):
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adapter
SqlDriverAdapterFactory
Instance of a driver adapter for direct database connections.
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaPg } from '@prisma/adapter-pg'
import { Pool } from 'pg'

const pool = new Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const adapter = new PrismaPg(pool)

const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:75-89
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accelerateUrl
string
Prisma Accelerate URL for connecting through Accelerate instead of directly to the database.
const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  accelerateUrl: 'prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/...'
})
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:75-89

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Optional Configuration

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errorFormat
'pretty' | 'colorless' | 'minimal'
default:"colorless"
Format of error messages.
  • pretty: Colored, formatted errors (development)
  • colorless: Formatted without colors
  • minimal: Minimal error output (production)
Defaults to minimal in production, colorless otherwise.Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:69,394-402
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log
Array<LogLevel | LogDefinition>
Configure logging output. Log levels: query, info, warn, error.
const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  adapter,
  log: ['query', 'info', 'warn', 'error']
})

// Or emit as events
const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  adapter,
  log: [
    { emit: 'event', level: 'query' },
    { emit: 'stdout', level: 'error' }
  ]
})

prisma.$on('query', (e) => {
  console.log('Query:', e.query)
  console.log('Params:', e.params)
  console.log('Duration:', e.duration, 'ms')
})
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:104-119,460-469
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transactionOptions
TransactionOptions
Default options for transactions.
const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  adapter,
  transactionOptions: {
    maxWait: 2000,      // Max ms to wait for transaction to start
    timeout: 5000,      // Max ms transaction can run
    isolationLevel: 'ReadCommitted'
  }
})
Available isolation levels:
  • ReadUncommitted
  • ReadCommitted
  • RepeatableRead
  • Snapshot
  • Serializable
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:97-102,422-426
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omit
GlobalOmitOptions
Globally omit fields from all queries.
const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  adapter,
  omit: {
    user: {
      password: true  // Never return password field
    }
  }
})
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:121,351
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comments
SqlCommenterPlugin[]
SQL commenter plugins that add metadata to SQL queries as comments. Comments follow the sqlcommenter format.
import { traceContext } from '@prisma/sqlcommenter-trace-context'
import { queryInsights } from '@prisma/sqlcommenter-query-insights'

const prisma = new PrismaClient({
  adapter,
  comments: [
    traceContext(),
    queryInsights()
  ]
})
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:123-138

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Driver Adapters

Prisma 7 uses JavaScript driver adapters instead of native binaries. Choose the adapter for your database:

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PostgreSQL

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

const pool = new Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const adapter = new PrismaPg(pool)
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
Available PostgreSQL adapters:
  • @prisma/adapter-pg - node-postgres (pg) driver
  • @prisma/adapter-neon - Neon serverless driver
  • @prisma/adapter-ppg - Prisma Postgres Serverless

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MySQL

import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaLibSQL } from '@prisma/adapter-libsql'
import { createClient } from '@libsql/client'

const libsql = createClient({ url: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const adapter = new PrismaLibSQL(libsql)
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
Available MySQL-compatible adapters:
  • @prisma/adapter-planetscale - PlanetScale serverless driver
  • @prisma/adapter-mariadb - MariaDB driver

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SQLite

import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaBetterSqlite3 } from '@prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3'
import Database from 'better-sqlite3'

const db = new Database('dev.db')
const adapter = new PrismaBetterSqlite3(db)
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
Available SQLite adapters:
  • @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3 - better-sqlite3 driver
  • @prisma/adapter-libsql - libSQL/Turso driver

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SQL Server

import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaMssql } from '@prisma/adapter-mssql'
import { ConnectionPool } from 'mssql'

const pool = new ConnectionPool(process.env.DATABASE_URL)
await pool.connect()
const adapter = new PrismaMssql(pool)
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })

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Cloudflare D1

import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaD1 } from '@prisma/adapter-d1'

// In Cloudflare Worker
export default {
  async fetch(request: Request, env: Env) {
    const adapter = new PrismaD1(env.DB)
    const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })
    // ... use prisma
  }
}

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Adapter Validation

Prisma Client validates that your driver adapter matches your schema’s provider: 
// schema.prisma has: provider = "postgresql"
// Adapter must be postgres-compatible

const adapter = new PrismaMysql(mysqlPool)  // ❌ Error!
// PrismaClientInitializationError: The Driver Adapter `@prisma/adapter-mysql`,
// based on `mysql`, is not compatible with the provider `postgres` specified
// in the Prisma schema.
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:354-383

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Environment-Specific Configuration

The error format automatically adjusts based on environment: 
if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
  // Uses 'minimal' error format
} else if (process.env.NO_COLOR) {
  // Uses 'colorless' format
} else {
  // Uses 'colorless' format (default)
}
Source: /home/daytona/workspace/source/packages/client/src/runtime/getPrismaClient.ts:394-402

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Singleton Pattern

For best practices, use a singleton instance: 
// lib/prisma.ts
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { PrismaPg } from '@prisma/adapter-pg'
import { Pool } from 'pg'

const pool = new Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL })
const adapter = new PrismaPg(pool)

const globalForPrisma = globalThis as unknown as {
  prisma: PrismaClient | undefined
}

export const prisma = globalForPrisma.prisma ?? new PrismaClient({ adapter })

if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') globalForPrisma.prisma = prisma

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Next Steps

CRUD Operations

Learn how to create, read, update, and delete data

Queries

Explore advanced query patterns

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