# db schema (/docs/cli/db-schema)

Inspect a live database schema.

Location: CLI > db schema

`db schema` reads the live database schema and prints it as a tree, or as the result document with `--json`. The command is always read-only: it never writes a file and never changes the database.

Use it when you need to inspect what Prisma ORM sees in the database before inferring, signing, updating, or debugging drift.

## Usage

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
```

## Options

| Option            | What it does                                           |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `--db <url>`      | Connects to the database.                              |
| `--config <path>` | Read this config file instead of `./prisma.config.ts`. |
| `--json`          | Prints machine-readable schema output.                 |

## Examples

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
bunx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL" --json > schema.json
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
pnpm prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL" --json > schema.json
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
yarn prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL" --json > schema.json
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL"
npx prisma db schema --db "$DATABASE_URL" --json > schema.json
```

## Related commands

Use [`contract infer`](/guides/orm-contract-infer) when you want to turn a live schema into a starter PSL contract. Use [`db verify`](/guides/orm-db-verify) when you want to compare the live schema with the emitted contract.

## Related pages

- [`auth`](/guides/platform-auth): Sign in to your Prisma account from the CLI, sign out, and manage workspace sessions.
- [`branch`](/guides/platform-branch): List platform branches for a project.
- [`bucket`](/guides/platform-bucket): Create and manage object-store buckets.
- [`Configuration`](/guides/introduction-6-configuration): Configure Prisma ORM CLI commands with prisma.config.ts and global flags.
- [`contract emit`](/guides/orm-contract-emit): Emit Prisma ORM contract artifacts.

## 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)

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