# PlanetScale (Prisma ORM v7) (/docs/v7/prisma-orm/add-to-existing-project/planetscale)

Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with PlanetScale and learn database introspection and querying

Location: v7 > Prisma ORM > Add to Existing Project > PlanetScale

[PlanetScale](https://planetscale.com) is a serverless database platform. This guide covers both **PlanetScale MySQL** and **PlanetScale Postgres**. In this guide, you will learn how to add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project, connect it to PlanetScale, introspect your existing database schema, and start querying with type-safe Prisma Client.

## Prerequisites

## 1. Set up Prisma ORM

Navigate to your existing project directory and install the required dependencies:

### MySQL

#### bun

```bash
bun add prisma@prev @types/node --dev
bun add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-planetscale undici dotenv
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm add prisma@prev @types/node --save-dev
pnpm add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-planetscale undici dotenv
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn add prisma@prev @types/node --dev
yarn add @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-planetscale undici dotenv
```

#### npm

```bash
npm install prisma@prev @types/node --save-dev
npm install @prisma/client@7 @prisma/adapter-planetscale undici dotenv
```

### Postgres

#### bun

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

#### pnpm

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

#### yarn

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

#### npm

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

## 2. Initialize Prisma ORM

Set up your Prisma ORM project by creating your [Prisma Schema](/guides/prisma-schema-v7-overview) file with the following command:

### MySQL

#### bun

```bash
bunx --bun prisma init --datasource-provider mysql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma init --datasource-provider mysql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma init --datasource-provider mysql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma init --datasource-provider mysql --output ../generated/prisma
```

### Postgres

#### bun

```bash
bunx --bun prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql --output ../generated/prisma
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql --output ../generated/prisma
```

This command does a few things:

- Creates a `prisma/` directory with a `schema.prisma` file containing your database connection configuration
- Creates a `.env` file in the root directory for environment variables
- Creates a `prisma7.config.ts` file for Prisma configuration

The generated `prisma7.config.ts` file looks like this:

```typescript title="prisma7.config.ts"
// This file was generated by Prisma, and assumes you have installed the following:
// npm install --save-dev prisma dotenv
import "dotenv/config";
import { defineConfig } from "prisma/config";

export default defineConfig({
  schema: "prisma/schema.prisma",
  migrations: {
    path: "prisma/migrations",
  },
  datasource: {
    url: process.env["DATABASE_URL"],
  },
});
```

> \[!NOTE]
> Prisma ORM 7.10 and later name this file `prisma7.config.ts` so that it does not clash with the Prisma 8 config format, which only accepts `prisma.config.ts`. The Prisma 7 CLI discovers either name, so a project that already has a `prisma.config.ts` keeps working.

The generated schema uses [the ESM-first `prisma-client` generator](/guides/prisma-schema-v7-overview-generators#prisma-client) with a custom output path:

#### MySQL

```prisma title="prisma/schema.prisma" 
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../generated/prisma"
}

datasource db {
  provider     = "mysql"
  relationMode = "prisma"
}
```

#### Postgres

```prisma title="prisma/schema.prisma" 
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../generated/prisma"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}
```

> \[!NOTE]
> **PlanetScale MySQL** requires `relationMode = "prisma"` because it doesn't support foreign key constraints.

## 3. Connect your database

Update the `.env` file with your PlanetScale connection URL:

#### MySQL

```text title=".env" 
DATABASE_URL="mysql://username:password@host.connect.psdb.cloud/mydb?sslaccept=strict"
```

#### Postgres

```text title=".env" 
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://{username}:{password}@{host}:6432/postgres?sslmode=verify-full"
```

You can find your connection string in the PlanetScale dashboard.

> \[!NOTE]
> **PlanetScale Postgres connection types:**
>
> | Type          | Port   | Use case                                                       |
> | ------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
> | **Direct**    | `5432` | Prisma CLI commands (migrations, introspection), Prisma Studio |
> | **PgBouncer** | `6432` | Application connections, serverless environments               |
>
> For production applications, we recommend using PgBouncer (port 6432) for application connections.

## 4. Introspect your database

Run the following command to introspect your existing database:

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma db pull
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma db pull
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma db pull
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma db pull
```

This command reads the `DATABASE_URL` environment variable, connects to your database, and introspects the database schema. It then translates the database schema from SQL into a data model in your Prisma schema.

<img src="https://www.prisma.io/img/getting-started/prisma-db-pull-generate-schema.png" alt="Introspect your database with Prisma ORM">

After introspection, your Prisma schema will contain models that represent your existing database tables.

## 5. Generate Prisma ORM types

Generate Prisma Client based on your introspected schema:

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma generate
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma generate
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma generate
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma generate
```

This creates a type-safe Prisma Client tailored to your database schema in the `generated/prisma` directory.

## 6. Instantiate Prisma Client

Create a utility file to instantiate Prisma Client. You need to pass an instance of the Prisma ORM driver adapter adapter to the `PrismaClient` constructor:

#### MySQL

```typescript title="lib/prisma.ts" 
import "dotenv/config";
import { PrismaPlanetScale } from "@prisma/adapter-planetscale";
import { PrismaClient } from "../generated/prisma/client";
import { fetch as undiciFetch } from "undici";

const adapter = new PrismaPlanetScale({ url: process.env.DATABASE_URL, fetch: undiciFetch });
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });

export { prisma };
```

#### Postgres

```typescript title="lib/prisma.ts" 
import "dotenv/config";
import { PrismaPg } from "@prisma/adapter-pg";
import { PrismaClient } from "../generated/prisma/client";

const connectionString = `${process.env.DATABASE_URL}`;

const adapter = new PrismaPg({ connectionString });
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter });

export { prisma };
```

## 7. Query your database

Now you can use Prisma Client to query your database. Create a `script.ts` file:

```typescript title="script.ts"
import { prisma } from "./lib/prisma";

async function main() {
  // Example: Fetch all records from a table
  // Replace 'user' with your actual model name
  const allUsers = await prisma.user.findMany();
  console.log("All users:", JSON.stringify(allUsers, null, 2));
}

main()
  .then(async () => {
    await prisma.$disconnect();
  })
  .catch(async (e) => {
    console.error(e);
    await prisma.$disconnect();
    process.exit(1);
  });
```

Run the script:

#### bun

```bash
bunx tsx script.ts
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm dlx tsx script.ts
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn dlx tsx script.ts
```

#### npm

```bash
npx tsx script.ts
```

## 8. Evolve your schema

PlanetScale uses a branching workflow instead of traditional migrations. To make changes to your database schema:

### 8.1. Update your Prisma schema file

Update your Prisma schema file to reflect the changes you want to make to your database schema. For example, add a new model:

```prisma title="prisma/schema.prisma"
model Post { // [!code ++]
  id        Int      @id @default(autoincrement()) // [!code ++]
  title     String // [!code ++]
  content   String? // [!code ++]
  published Boolean  @default(false) // [!code ++]
  authorId  Int // [!code ++]
  author    User     @relation(fields: [authorId], references: [id]) // [!code ++]
} // [!code ++]

model User { // [!code ++]
  id    Int    @id @default(autoincrement()) // [!code ++]
  email String @unique // [!code ++]
  name  String? // [!code ++]
  posts Post[] // [!code ++]
} // [!code ++]
```

### 8.2. Push the changes to your development branch:

#### bun

```bash
bunx prisma db push
```

#### pnpm

```bash
pnpm prisma db push
```

#### yarn

```bash
yarn prisma db push
```

#### npm

```bash
npx prisma db push
```

This command will:

- Apply the schema changes to your PlanetScale database
- Regenerate Prisma Client

> \[!NOTE]
> For production deployments, use PlanetScale's [branching workflow](https://planetscale.com/docs/concepts/branching) to create deploy requests.

## 9. Explore your data with Prisma Studio

```shell
npx prisma studio
```

## Next steps

Prisma ORM is set up. These are the pages you are most likely to need next:

- **Learn more about Prisma Client**: Explore the [Prisma Client API](/guides/prisma-client-v7-setup-and-configuration-introduction) for advanced querying, filtering, and relations
- **Database migrations**: Learn about [Prisma Migrate](/guides/prisma-migrate-v7-prisma-migrate) for evolving your database schema
- **Performance optimization**: Discover [query optimization techniques](/guides/prisma-client-v7-queries-advanced-query-optimization-performance)
- **Build a full application**: Check out our [framework guides](/guides/guides-v7) to integrate Prisma ORM with Next.js, Express, and more
- **Join the community**: Connect with other developers on [Discord](https://pris.ly/discord)

## More info

- [PlanetScale database connector](/guides/core-concepts-v7-supported-databases-mysql#planetscale)
- [Prisma Config reference](/guides/reference-6-v7-reference-prisma-config-reference)
- [Database introspection](/guides/prisma-schema-v7-introspection)
- [PlanetScale branching workflow](https://planetscale.com/docs/concepts/branching)

## Related pages

- [`CockroachDB`](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-cockroachdb): Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with CockroachDB and learn database introspection, baselining, and querying
- [`MongoDB`](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-mongodb): Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with MongoDB and learn database introspection and querying
- [`MySQL`](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-mysql): Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with MySQL and learn database introspection, baselining, and querying
- [`PostgreSQL`](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-postgresql): Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with PostgreSQL and learn database introspection, baselining, and querying
- [`Prisma Postgres`](/guides/prisma-orm-2-v7-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-prisma-postgres): Add Prisma ORM to an existing TypeScript project with Prisma Postgres and learn database introspection, baselining, and querying

## 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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