# From scratch

By the end of this page you have a project with a `prisma.config.ts`, a `prisma/contract.prisma` holding one `User` model, and a single `index.ts` that writes, updates, and reads rows in PostgreSQL through Prisma ORM 8, plus a migration you planned and applied. No template generates anything: you create every file yourself and see what each one is for.

Use this path when you want to see every file Prisma ORM needs, or when you are adding Prisma ORM to a repository that already has its own layout. If you would rather have the files written for you, run `npm create prisma@latest` and follow the [PostgreSQL quickstart](/guides/prisma-orm-2-prisma-orm-quickstart-postgresql).

:::callout{intent="note"}
Using Prisma ORM 7?

Prisma ORM 8 is the current release, as a release candidate. Prisma ORM 7 remains fully supported; its docs live at [/orm/v7](/guides/introduction-7-v7) and its setup paths at [/v7/getting-started](/guides/getting-started-2-getting-started).

For what release candidate means, when the final release is expected, and how to stay on version 7, see [Release status](/guides/prisma-orm-orm-release-status). For the Prisma ORM 8 name of every Prisma ORM 7 API, see [Coming from Prisma ORM 7](/guides/introduction-2-orm-coming-from-prisma-orm-7).
:::

Two commands have new names in Prisma ORM 8. `contract emit` does what `prisma generate` did, and `migration plan` followed by `db migrate` does what `migrate dev` did. There is no `@prisma/client` package and no `db push`.

## [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)

- Node.js 22.18 or newer (on the 24 line, 24.11 or newer); Node.js 24 is recommended.
- A connection string for an empty PostgreSQL database. Step 4 creates the tables and step 5 clears the `User` table on every run, so do not point this page at a database that holds data you need. Any PostgreSQL URL works. If you don't have one, `npx create-db@latest` creates a temporary Prisma Postgres database and prints its connection string, plus a claim URL if you want to keep it.

## [1. Create the project](#1-create-the-project)

Create an empty directory with a `package.json`, and switch it to ES modules, because the Prisma ORM packages and the `index.ts` below use `import` syntax. `npm init -y` writes `"type": "commonjs"`, and the second npm command changes it:

```
mkdir hello-prisma

cd hello-prisma

npm init -y

npm pkg set type=module
```

Install the runtime library, the command-line tool, and the tooling to run a TypeScript file:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bun add @prisma/orm-postgres dotenv

bun add --dev prisma tsx typescript
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm add @prisma/orm-postgres dotenv
pnpm add --save-dev prisma tsx typescript
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn add @prisma/orm-postgres dotenv
yarn add --dev prisma tsx typescript
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npm install @prisma/orm-postgres dotenv
npm install --save-dev prisma tsx typescript
```

`@prisma/orm-postgres` is the library your code imports, and `prisma` is the command-line tool. `dotenv` loads `.env`, `tsx` runs `index.ts` without a build step, and `typescript` 5.9 or newer is a peer dependency of `@prisma/orm-postgres`. The two Prisma packages have different version numbers (for example, `prisma` 8.0.0-rc.17 and `@prisma/orm-postgres` 8.0.0-rc.13); that is normal, and any two `latest` versions work together.
:::
::::

`@prisma/orm-postgres` is the library your code imports, and `prisma` is the command-line tool. `dotenv` loads `.env`, `tsx` runs `index.ts` without a build step, and `typescript` 5.9 or newer is a peer dependency of `@prisma/orm-postgres`. The two Prisma packages have different version numbers (for example, `prisma` 8.0.0-rc.17 and `@prisma/orm-postgres` 8.0.0-rc.13); that is normal, and any two `latest` versions work together.

## [2. Create the config file and `.env`](#2-create-the-config-file-and-env)

The command-line tool reads `prisma.config.ts` from the project root to find your contract and your database:

```title="prisma.config.ts"
import "dotenv/config";

import { definePrismaConfig } from "prisma/config";

import { defineConfig as ormConfig } from "@prisma/orm-postgres/config";

export default definePrismaConfig({

  orm: ormConfig({

    contract: "./prisma/contract.prisma",

    db: {

      connection: process.env["DATABASE_URL"]!,

    },

  }),

  skills: {

    check: false,

  },

});
```

`contract` is the path to the model file you write in the next step, and `db.connection` is the connection string the database commands use. The `skills` block turns off the notice that every command otherwise prints about installing agent skill files; remove it if you want those files. Every setting is documented on [Configuration](/guides/introduction-6-configuration).

Put the connection string in `.env`, which the first line of the config file loads:

```title=".env"
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://username:password@host:5432/database?sslmode=require"
```

Add `.env` to `.gitignore` so the credentials stay out of version control.

## [3. Create the contract](#3-create-the-contract)

The contract is Prisma ORM 8's name for the schema file. It replaces `schema.prisma`, and it has no `datasource` or `generator` blocks because the connection string lives in `prisma.config.ts`. Declare one model:

```title="prisma/contract.prisma"
// use prisma-8

model User {

  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())

  email String  @unique

  name  String?

}
```

[Data modeling](/guides/data-modeling-data-modeling) covers field types, primary keys, and relations.

## [4. Generate the contract and create the table](#4-generate-the-contract-and-create-the-table)

`contract emit` reads `contract.prisma` and writes `prisma/contract.json` (read at run time) and `prisma/contract.d.ts` (read by TypeScript) next to it. This is the step that was `prisma generate`; run it again after every change to the contract.

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx prisma contract emit
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm prisma contract emit
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn prisma contract emit
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx prisma contract emit
```

```text
✔ Resolving contract source...
✔ Emitting contract...
│  contract:  prisma/contract.json
│  types:     prisma/contract.d.ts
✔ Emitted contract.json and contract.d.ts
```

`db init` creates the tables the contract declares in your database, then signs the database, which records which version of the contract it matches so later migrations know where to start from:
:::
::::

```
✔ Resolving contract source...

✔ Emitting contract...

│  contract:  prisma/contract.json

│  types:     prisma/contract.d.ts

✔ Emitted contract.json and contract.d.ts
```

`db init` creates the tables the contract declares in your database, then signs the database, which records which version of the contract it matches so later migrations know where to start from:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx prisma db init
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm prisma db init
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn prisma db init
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx prisma db init
```

```text
✔ Introspecting database schema
✔ Planning migration
✔ Initialising database across spaces
│  contract:  prisma/contract.json
│  database:  postgres://****:****@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require
✔ Applied 2 operation(s) across 1 contract space
App space
├─ Create table "User"
├─ Add unique constraint on "User" (email)
└─ marker b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb
✔ Advanced ref "db" → b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb
```

The `marker` line in the output is the record that signing stores in the database: the hash that identifies the version of the contract the database now matches. `db init` also writes `migrations/app/refs/db.json`, called the `db` ref: a file that records which contract version your development database is at, so that `migration plan` in step 6 knows where to start. The `Advanced ref "db"` line in the output is `db init` writing it. Commit it, together with the snapshot of the contract that `db init` writes under `migrations/snapshots/`. If the command fails with `DRIVER.CONNECTION_FAILED`, `DATABASE_URL` in `.env` is wrong or the database is not reachable. A `SECURITY WARNING` about SSL modes comes from the `pg` driver and does not stop the command; change `sslmode=require` to `sslmode=verify-full` in `.env` to silence it.
:::
::::

```
✔ Introspecting database schema

✔ Planning migration

✔ Initialising database across spaces

│  contract:  prisma/contract.json

│  database:  postgres://****:****@db.prisma.io:5432/postgres?sslmode=require

✔ Applied 2 operation(s) across 1 contract space

App space

├─ Create table "User"

├─ Add unique constraint on "User" (email)

└─ marker b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb

✔ Advanced ref "db" → b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb
```

The `marker` line in the output is the record that signing stores in the database: the hash that identifies the version of the contract the database now matches. `db init` also writes `migrations/app/refs/db.json`, called the `db` ref: a file that records which contract version your development database is at, so that `migration plan` in step 6 knows where to start. The `Advanced ref "db"` line in the output is `db init` writing it. Commit it, together with the snapshot of the contract that `db init` writes under `migrations/snapshots/`. If the command fails with `DRIVER.CONNECTION_FAILED`, `DATABASE_URL` in `.env` is wrong or the database is not reachable. A `SECURITY WARNING` about SSL modes comes from the `pg` driver and does not stop the command; change `sslmode=require` to `sslmode=verify-full` in `.env` to silence it.

## [5. Write and read data](#5-write-and-read-data)

Create `index.ts`, which builds the client from the two emitted files and then deletes, creates, updates, and reads rows on the `User` model:

```title="index.ts"
import "dotenv/config";

import postgres from "@prisma/orm-postgres/runtime";

import type { Contract } from "./prisma/contract.d";

import contractJson from "./prisma/contract.json" with { type: "json" };

const db = postgres<Contract>({

  contractJson,

  url: process.env["DATABASE_URL"]!,

});

async function main() {

  // Start from an empty table so you can run this file more than once.

  await db.orm.public.User.where({}).deleteAll();

  // Write: insert one row.

  const alice = await db.orm.public.User.create({

    email: "alice@prisma.io",

    name: "Alice",

  });

  console.log("Created:", alice);

  // Update: change one row, picked by its primary key.

  const renamed = await db.orm.public.User

    .where({ id: alice.id })

    .update({ name: "Alice Smith" });

  console.log("Updated:", renamed);

  // Read: fetch every row.

  const users = await db.orm.public.User.all();

  console.log("All users:", users);

  await db.close();

}

main().catch((error) => {

  console.error(error);

  process.exit(1);

});
```

`db.orm.public.User` is the model: `public` is the PostgreSQL schema, and every model in your contract appears under it. `.update()` and `.delete()` need a `.where()` first, and `.where({})` matches every row. [Reading data](/guides/fundamentals-reading-data) and [Writing data](/guides/fundamentals-writing-data) show the rest of the query API.

Run it:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm dlx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn dlx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx tsx index.ts
```

```text
Created: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice' }
Updated: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice Smith' }
All users: [ { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice Smith' } ]
```

The `id` goes up by one each time you run the file, because the table is cleared but the sequence is not. If the run fails with `Cannot find module '.../prisma/contract.json'`, you skipped `contract emit` in step 4.
:::
::::

```
Created: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice' }

Updated: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice Smith' }

All users: [ { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 1, name: 'Alice Smith' } ]
```

The `id` goes up by one each time you run the file, because the table is cleared but the sequence is not. If the run fails with `Cannot find module '.../prisma/contract.json'`, you skipped `contract emit` in step 4.

## [6. Change the schema and migrate](#6-change-the-schema-and-migrate)

Add an optional field to the model:

```title="prisma/contract.prisma"
// use prisma-8

model User {

  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())

  email String  @unique

  name  String?

  phone String?

}
```

Emit the contract again, then plan a migration. `migration plan` compares the emitted contract with the version the database was signed with and writes the difference as a migration directory, without connecting to the database:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx prisma contract emit

bunx prisma migration plan --name add_user_phone
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm prisma contract emit
pnpm prisma migration plan --name add_user_phone
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn prisma contract emit
yarn prisma migration plan --name add_user_phone
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx prisma contract emit
npx prisma migration plan --name add_user_phone
```

```text
✔ Planned baseline (3 operation(s)) + 1 operation(s)
migrations/app/20260917T1457_add_user_phone
└─ Add column "phone" to "User"
from:       b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb
to:         300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f
baseline:   migrations/app/20260917T1456_baseline
app space:  migrations/app/20260917T1457_add_user_phone
ℹ DDL preview
ALTER TABLE "public"."User" ADD COLUMN "phone" text;
```

Two directories appear under `migrations/app/`: a baseline that records the table `db init` created, and your change. The baseline is never applied to this database, because the database is already signed at that state. Each migration directory holds a `migration.ts` you can read and edit; [Generating a migration](/guides/migrations-generating-a-migration) explains the files.

Apply the migration with `--advance-ref db`, which records that your development database is now at the new contract so the next `migration plan` starts from there:
:::
::::

```
✔ Planned baseline (3 operation(s)) + 1 operation(s)

migrations/app/20260917T1457_add_user_phone

└─ Add column "phone" to "User"

from:       b5ae4e66fad1f0b7dd5590568f75a12a6f4576e9f367a787a69a4e729abac1fb

to:         300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f

baseline:   migrations/app/20260917T1456_baseline

app space:  migrations/app/20260917T1457_add_user_phone

ℹ DDL preview

ALTER TABLE "public"."User" ADD COLUMN "phone" text;
```

Two directories appear under `migrations/app/`: a baseline that records the table `db init` created, and your change. The baseline is never applied to this database, because the database is already signed at that state. Each migration directory holds a `migration.ts` you can read and edit; [Generating a migration](/guides/migrations-generating-a-migration) explains the files.

Apply the migration with `--advance-ref db`, which records that your development database is now at the new contract so the next `migration plan` starts from there:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx prisma db migrate --advance-ref db
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm prisma db migrate --advance-ref db
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn prisma db migrate --advance-ref db
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx prisma db migrate --advance-ref db
```

```text
✔ Applied 1 migration(s) (1 operation(s)) across 1 contract space(s)
App space
├─ Add column "phone" to "User"
└─ marker 300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f
✔ Advanced ref "db" → 300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f
```

If you do not want migration files for a throwaway database, [`db update`](/guides/orm-db-update) applies the contract change directly instead of `migration plan` and `db migrate`.

Run `index.ts` again without changing it. The new column shows up in every row:
:::
::::

```
✔ Applied 1 migration(s) (1 operation(s)) across 1 contract space(s)

App space

├─ Add column "phone" to "User"

└─ marker 300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f

✔ Advanced ref "db" → 300832575ace8feebb3d3442d1bca52150c46628de3e4c6c32a61cb0ab21100f
```

If you do not want migration files for a throwaway database, [`db update`](/guides/orm-db-update) applies the contract change directly instead of `migration plan` and `db migrate`.

Run `index.ts` again without changing it. The new column shows up in every row:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm dlx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn dlx tsx index.ts
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx tsx index.ts
```

```text
Created: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice', phone: null }
Updated: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice Smith', phone: null }
All users: [
  { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice Smith', phone: null }
]
```
:::
::::

```
Created: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice', phone: null }

Updated: { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice Smith', phone: null }

All users: [

  { email: 'alice@prisma.io', id: 2, name: 'Alice Smith', phone: null }

]
```

## [Verify](#verify)

Check that the migration files on disk and the database agree:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx prisma migration status
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm prisma migration status
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn prisma migration status
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx prisma migration status
```

```text
○   3008325  @contract @db (db)
│↑  20260917T1457_add_user_phone  b5ae4e6 → 3008325  1 ops  ✓ applied
○   b5ae4e6
│↑  20260917T1456_baseline              ∅ → b5ae4e6  3 ops
○   ∅
✔ Up to date
```

From here, every schema change follows the same routine: edit `prisma/contract.prisma`, run `npx prisma contract emit`, run `npx prisma migration plan --name <name>`, and apply with `npx prisma db migrate --advance-ref db`.
:::
::::

```
○   3008325  @contract @db (db)

│↑  20260917T1457_add_user_phone  b5ae4e6 → 3008325  1 ops  ✓ applied

○   b5ae4e6

│↑  20260917T1456_baseline              ∅ → b5ae4e6  3 ops

○   ∅

✔ Up to date
```

From here, every schema change follows the same routine: edit `prisma/contract.prisma`, run `npx prisma contract emit`, run `npx prisma migration plan --name <name>`, and apply with `npx prisma db migrate --advance-ref db`.

## [Next steps](#next-steps)

- [Data modeling](/guides/data-modeling-data-modeling) for relations, more field types, and indexes.
- [Generating a migration](/guides/migrations-generating-a-migration) for what is in a migration directory and how to edit one.
- [PostgreSQL quickstart](/guides/prisma-orm-2-prisma-orm-quickstart-postgresql) if you want the same setup generated for you with a starter 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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