# TanStack Start ## [Introduction](#introduction) This guide shows you how to use Prisma ORM in a TanStack Start app. You scaffold a project where a server function queries your database and a route loader feeds it to the page, initialize the schema, see your data, and deploy the app to [Prisma Compute](/guides/deploy-compute). Every command below was run end to end against a live [Prisma Postgres](/guides/introduction-2-postgres) database. ## [Quick start](#quick-start) One command scaffolds the project with Prisma ORM wired in: ::::tabs :::tab{title="bun"} ``` bun create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy ``` ::: :::tab{title="pnpm"} ```bash pnpm create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy ``` ::: :::tab{title="yarn"} ```bash yarn create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy ``` ::: :::tab{title="npm"} ```bash npm create prisma@latest -- my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy ``` Answer the prompts, then export `DATABASE_URL` in your shell before running the database scripts. If you do not have a database yet, `npx create-db@latest` prints a Prisma Postgres connection string. ::: :::: Answer the prompts, then export `DATABASE_URL` in your shell before running the database scripts. If you do not have a database yet, `npx create-db@latest` prints a Prisma Postgres connection string. ## [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) - [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) 22.18 or newer (on the 24 line, 24.11 or newer; 24 recommended) - A PostgreSQL connection string, or nothing at all: `npx create-db@latest` can create a Prisma Postgres database for you ## [Use with your agent](#use-with-your-agent) To delegate this guide to your coding agent, copy the prompt below and hand it over: ```title="Use with your agent Use with your agent" Create a new TanStack Start app with Prisma ORM, seed it, and deploy it to Prisma Compute. 1. Scaffold: `npm create prisma@latest -- my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --yes`. Then run `npx prisma@latest init` in `my-app` so the Prisma agent skills are installed and stay current, and use them. Get a database connection string: use the one I give you, or create a Prisma Postgres database with `npx create-db@latest` and show me the claim URL it prints. Export it as `DATABASE_URL` in the shell; the generated scripts read the environment variable, not `.env`. 2. In `my-app`, run `npm run db:init` with `DATABASE_URL` exported. Sample users are seeded automatically on the app's first query; there is no separate seed script. 3. Start `npm run dev` in the background, wait until it reports ready, verify http://localhost:3000 renders the three seeded users, then stop the dev server. 4. Deploy: check `npx prisma auth whoami`; if I am not signed in, stop and ask me to run `npx prisma auth login`. Then run `npm run build` followed by `npx prisma deploy module.ts` and verify the live URL renders the seeded users. The deployed app provisions and seeds its own Prisma Postgres database; do not pass the local DATABASE_URL. If the deploy fails with `HostedStateBootstrapError`, a project with the module's name exists in my workspace but its hosted state cannot be verified; re-run the deploy with `--name `. ``` ## [1. Scaffold and enter the project](#1-scaffold-and-enter-the-project) ::::tabs :::tab{title="bun"} ``` bun create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy cd my-app ``` ::: :::tab{title="pnpm"} ```bash pnpm create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy cd my-app ``` ::: :::tab{title="yarn"} ```bash yarn create prisma@latest my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy cd my-app ``` ::: :::tab{title="npm"} ```bash npm create prisma@latest -- my-app --template tanstack-start --provider postgres --no-deploy cd my-app ``` The scaffold generates the TanStack Start app with Prisma ORM wired in, installs dependencies, and emits the contract your queries are type-checked against. Next, set the database connection for the local steps. Use your own PostgreSQL connection string, or create a Prisma Postgres database with `npx create-db@latest`; it prints a connection string and a claim URL you can open to keep the database. Export the variable in the shell you work in; the generated scripts read the environment variable, not `.env`: ```bash export DATABASE_URL="" ``` ::: :::: The scaffold generates the TanStack Start app with Prisma ORM wired in, installs dependencies, and emits the contract your queries are type-checked against. Next, set the database connection for the local steps. Use your own PostgreSQL connection string, or create a Prisma Postgres database with `npx create-db@latest`; it prints a connection string and a claim URL you can open to keep the database. Export the variable in the shell you work in; the generated scripts read the environment variable, not `.env`: ``` export DATABASE_URL="" ``` ## [2. Initialize the database](#2-initialize-the-database) ::::tabs :::tab{title="bun"} ``` bun run db:init ``` ::: :::tab{title="pnpm"} ```bash pnpm run db:init ``` ::: :::tab{title="yarn"} ```bash yarn db:init ``` ::: :::tab{title="npm"} ```bash npm run db:init ``` ```text no-copy "summary": "Applied 5 operation(s) across 1 space(s), database signed" ``` If `db:init` stops with `Connection terminated unexpectedly`, a database you just created is still starting; wait a few seconds and run it again. The command is safe to repeat and reports `Applied 0 operation(s)` when there is nothing left to do. `db:init` applies your schema (`src/prisma/contract.prisma`) to the database and signs it. With TypeScript authoring (`--authoring typescript`) the schema is `src/prisma/contract.ts` and the emitted files land in `src/prisma/generated/`. Sample users are seeded automatically the first time the app queries the database. ::: :::: ``` "summary": "Applied 5 operation(s) across 1 space(s), database signed" ``` If `db:init` stops with `Connection terminated unexpectedly`, a database you just created is still starting; wait a few seconds and run it again. The command is safe to repeat and reports `Applied 0 operation(s)` when there is nothing left to do. `db:init` applies your schema (`src/prisma/contract.prisma`) to the database and signs it. With TypeScript authoring (`--authoring typescript`) the schema is `src/prisma/contract.ts` and the emitted files land in `src/prisma/generated/`. Sample users are seeded automatically the first time the app queries the database. ## [3. Run and verify](#3-run-and-verify) ::::tabs :::tab{title="bun"} ``` bun run dev ``` ::: :::tab{title="pnpm"} ```bash pnpm run dev ``` ::: :::tab{title="yarn"} ```bash yarn dev ``` ::: :::tab{title="npm"} ```bash npm run dev ``` Open http://localhost:3000. The page lists the seeded users, provided by the route loader's server function. ::: :::: Open [http://localhost](http://localhost:3000/). The page lists the seeded users, provided by the route loader's server function. ## [4. Deploy to Prisma Compute](#4-deploy-to-prisma-compute) TanStack Start is supported on [Prisma Compute](/guides/deploy-compute). The scaffold builds with Nitro (the `nitro()` Vite plugin ships in `vite.config.ts`) and declares the app for [Prisma Composer](/guides/build-composer) in `module.ts` and `service.ts`, pointing at Nitro's `.output` directory. Deploying is building and handing that declaration to the CLI. Sign in once (it opens a browser): :::code-group ```title="bun" bunx prisma auth login ``` ```bash title="pnpm" pnpm prisma auth login ``` ```bash title="yarn" yarn prisma auth login ``` ```bash title="npm" npx prisma auth login ``` ::: Then build and deploy from the project directory: ::::tabs :::tab{title="bun"} ``` bun run build bunx prisma deploy module.ts ``` ::: :::tab{title="pnpm"} ```bash pnpm run build pnpm prisma deploy module.ts ``` ::: :::tab{title="yarn"} ```bash yarn build yarn prisma deploy module.ts ``` ::: :::tab{title="npm"} ```bash npm run build npx prisma deploy module.ts ``` ```text no-copy my-app ├─ database postgres-database db_abc123 └─ app compute-service cps_abc123 https://xyz.ewr.prisma.build ``` Open the live URL: the page renders the seeded users. The deploy creates a project named after your module in your workspace, and re-running the deploy reuses it: the CLI finds the hosted state it stored on the first run and converges the project to your module. If a project with that name exists but the CLI cannot identify or verify its stored state (one left behind by a different checkout, for example), the deploy stops with `HostedStateBootstrapError`; deploy under another name with `--name `, or rename the module in `module.ts`. The deploy also provisions its own Prisma Postgres database on the platform, declared in `module.ts`; the `DATABASE_URL` from your local steps is not involved, and the deployed database seeds on the app's first query. For previews per Git branch and deploy on push, see [Deploy on push](/guides/integrations-deploy-on-push). ::: :::: ``` my-app ├─ database postgres-database db_abc123 └─ app compute-service cps_abc123 https://xyz.ewr.prisma.build ``` Open the live URL: the page renders the seeded users. The deploy creates a project named after your module in your workspace, and re-running the deploy reuses it: the CLI finds the hosted state it stored on the first run and converges the project to your module. If a project with that name exists but the CLI cannot identify or verify its stored state (one left behind by a different checkout, for example), the deploy stops with `HostedStateBootstrapError`; deploy under another name with `--name `, or rename the module in `module.ts`. The deploy also provisions its own Prisma Postgres database on the platform, declared in `module.ts`; the `DATABASE_URL` from your local steps is not involved, and the deployed database seeds on the app's first query. For previews per Git branch and deploy on push, see [Deploy on push](/guides/integrations-deploy-on-push). ## [Where things live](#where-things-live) - `src/routes/index.tsx`: the route: a `createServerFn` queries users, the loader passes them to the page - `src/prisma/users.ts`: the query helper the server function calls - `src/prisma/db.ts`: the Prisma ORM client behind it Model access is namespace-qualified on PostgreSQL: `db.orm.public.User`. The [Prisma ORM overview](/guides/introduction-2-orm) covers the contract-first model behind it. ## [Next steps](#next-steps) - Change the schema in `src/prisma/contract.prisma`, then run `npm run contract:emit` and `npm run db:update`. TanStack Start builds on Vite, so the [Vite plugin](/guides/orm-contract-emit#run-it-automatically) can run `contract emit` for you whenever the contract changes while the dev server runs. - [Learn the fundamentals](/guides/fundamentals-reading-data): filtering, sorting, pagination, and writes. - [Read the Prisma ORM overview](/guides/introduction-2-orm) for the concepts behind contracts and typed queries. ## Related pages - [Authentication & Tools](./authentication-tools-index.md) - [Build](./build-index.md) - [Changelog](../changelog.md) - [Concepts](./concepts-index.md) - [Console commands](./console-commands-index.md) - [Contract Authoring](./contract-authoring-index.md) - [Core Concepts](./core-concepts-index.md) - [Data Modeling](./data-modeling-index.md) - [Database](./database-index.md) - [DB commands](./db-commands-index.md) # Agent Instructions Cite this page’s canonical URL and keep its documentation version. 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