# Introduction to Prisma Client (Prisma ORM v7) (/docs/orm/v7/prisma-client/setup-and-configuration/introduction)

Learn how to set up and configure Prisma Client in your project

Location: ORM > v7 > Prisma Client > Setup and Configuration > Introduction to Prisma Client

Prisma Client is an auto-generated and type-safe query builder that's _tailored\* to your data. To get started with Prisma Client, follow the \*_[Quickstart](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-quickstart-sqlite)\*\*.

[Quickstart (5 min)](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-quickstart-sqlite)

## Prerequisites

In order to set up Prisma Client, you need a Prisma Config and a [Prisma schema file](/guides/prisma-schema-v7-overview):

#### Prisma Config

```ts title="prisma.config.ts" 
import 'dotenv/config';
import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config';

export default defineConfig({
  schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',
  datasource: {
    url: env('DATABASE_URL'),
  },
});
```

#### Prisma Schema

```prisma title="schema.prisma" 
datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../src/generated/prisma"
}

model User {
  id        Int      @id @default(autoincrement())
  createdAt DateTime @default(now())
  email     String   @unique
  name      String?
}
```

## Installation

[Install the Prisma CLI](/guides/reference-6-v7-reference-prisma-cli-reference), the Prisma Client library, and the [driver adapter](/guides/core-concepts-v7-supported-databases-database-drivers) for your database:

#### PostgreSQL

````bash
    bun add prisma@prev --dev
    bun add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-pg pg
    ```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm add prisma@prev --save-dev
pnpm add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-pg pg
````

#### yarn

```bash
yarn add prisma@prev --dev
yarn add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-pg pg
```

#### npm

```bash
npm install prisma@prev --save-dev
npm install @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-pg pg
```

#### MySQL / MariaDB

````bash
    bun add prisma@prev --dev
    bun add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-mariadb mariadb
    ```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm add prisma@prev --save-dev
pnpm add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-mariadb mariadb
````

#### yarn

```bash
yarn add prisma@prev --dev
yarn add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-mariadb mariadb
```

#### npm

```bash
npm install prisma@prev --save-dev
npm install @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-mariadb mariadb
```

#### SQLite

````bash
    bun add prisma@prev --dev
    bun add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3 better-sqlite3
    ```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm add prisma@prev --save-dev
pnpm add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3 better-sqlite3
````

#### yarn

```bash
yarn add prisma@prev --dev
yarn add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3 better-sqlite3
```

#### npm

```bash
npm install prisma@prev --save-dev
npm install @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3 better-sqlite3
```

> \[!NOTE]
> Prisma 7 requires a [driver adapter](/guides/core-concepts-v7-supported-databases-database-drivers) to connect to your database. Make sure your `package.json` includes `"type": "module"` for ESM support. See the [upgrade guide](/guides/guides-3-upgrade-prisma-orm-v7) for details.

## Generate the Client API

Prisma Client is based on the models in Prisma Schema. To provide the correct types, you need generate the client code:

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma generate
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma generate
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma generate
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma generate
```

This will create a `generated` directory based on where you set the `output` to in the Prisma Schema. Any time your import Prisma Client, it will need to come from this generated client API.

## Importing Prisma Client

With the client generated, import it along with your [driver adapter](/guides/core-concepts-v7-supported-databases-database-drivers) and create a new instance:

#### PostgreSQL

```ts
import { PrismaClient } from "./path/to/generated/prisma";
import { PrismaPg } from "@prisma/adapter-pg";

const adapter = new PrismaPg({
  connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL!,
});

export const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });
```

#### MySQL / MariaDB

```ts
import { PrismaClient } from "./path/to/generated/prisma";
import { PrismaMariaDb } from "@prisma/adapter-mariadb";

const adapter = new PrismaMariaDb({
  host: "localhost",
  user: "root",
  database: "mydb",
});

export const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });
```

#### SQLite

```ts
import { PrismaClient } from "./path/to/generated/prisma";
import { PrismaBetterSqlite3 } from "@prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3";

const adapter = new PrismaBetterSqlite3({
  url: "file:./dev.db",
});

export const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });
```

#### PostgreSQL (Edge)

```ts
import { PrismaClient } from "./path/to/generated/prisma/edge";
import { PrismaPostgresAdapter } from "@prisma/adapter-ppg";

const adapter = new PrismaPostgresAdapter({
  connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL!,
});

export const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });
```

> \[!WARNING]
> `PrismaClient` requires a driver adapter in Prisma 7. Calling `new PrismaClient()` without an `adapter` will result in an error.

Find out what [driver adapter](/guides/core-concepts-v7-supported-databases-database-drivers) is needed for your database.

Your application should generally only create **one instance** of `PrismaClient`. How to achieve this depends on whether you are using Prisma ORM in a [long-running application](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-databases-connections#prismaclient-in-long-running-applications) or in a [serverless environment](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-databases-connections#prismaclient-in-serverless-environments).

Creating multiple instances of `PrismaClient` will create multiple connection pools and can hit the connection limit for your database. Too many connections may start to **slow down your database** and eventually lead to errors such as:

```bash
Error in connector: Error querying the database: db error: FATAL: sorry, too many clients already
   at PrismaClientFetcher.request
```

## Use Prisma Client to send queries to your database

Once you have instantiated `PrismaClient`, you can start sending queries in your code:

```ts
// run inside `async` function
const newUser = await prisma.user.create({
  data: {
    name: "Alice",
    email: "alice@prisma.io",
  },
});

const users = await prisma.user.findMany();
```

## Evolving your application

Whenever you make changes to your database that are reflected in the Prisma schema, you need to manually re-generate Prisma Client to update the generated code in your output directory:

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma generate
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma generate
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma generate
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma generate
```

## Related pages

- [`Configuring error formatting`](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-error-formatting): This page explains how to configure the formatting of errors when using Prisma Client
- [`Custom model and field names`](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-custom-model-and-field-names): Learn how you can decouple the naming of Prisma models from database tables to improve the ergonomics of the generated Prisma Client API
- [`Database connections`](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-databases-connections): Learn how to manage database connections and configure connection pools
- [`Database polyfills`](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-database-polyfills): Prisma Client provides features that are not achievable with relational databases. These features are referred to as "polyfills" and explained on this page.
- [`Generating Prisma Client`](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-generating-prisma-client): Learn when and how to run prisma generate, configure the generator output, and import the generated client in your app.

## 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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