---
title: Integrate Prisma with Tiger Data | Tiger Data Docs
description: Connect Prisma to Tiger Cloud or self-hosted TimescaleDB to introspect your schema and query your data with type-safe Prisma Client code.
---

[Prisma](https://www.prisma.io/) is an open-source object-relational mapper (ORM) for Node.js and TypeScript that gives you a type-safe database client, schema migrations, and auto-generated queries.

This page shows you how to connect Prisma to Tiger Data, so that you can introspect an existing schema and query your data with a type-safe Prisma Client.

In this integration guide, you:

- Install Prisma and initialize a project.
- Set your connection details as the Prisma datasource.
- Introspect your schema and generate Prisma Client.

## Prerequisites for this integration guide

To follow these steps, you'll need:

- A [Tiger Cloud service](/get-started/quickstart/create-service/index.md), or a running instance of [self-hosted TimescaleDB](/get-started/choose-your-path/install-timescaledb/index.md).

* Your [connection details](/integrate/find-connection-details/index.md).

- A [Prisma](https://console.prisma.io/sign-up) account.
- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download) 18 or later, with `npm` installed.
- At least one existing table in your service or database for Prisma to introspect.

## Connect Prisma to your service or database

Prisma reads your schema from an existing database rather than the other way around, so you introspect your service or database to generate the models Prisma Client uses.

1. **Install Prisma**

   In your project, install the Prisma CLI as a dev dependency, and the Prisma Client package:

   Terminal window

   ```
   npm install -D prisma
   npm install @prisma/client
   ```

2. **Initialize a Prisma project**

   Run the init command, targeting PostgreSQL:

   Terminal window

   ```
   npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql
   ```

   This creates a `prisma/schema.prisma` file with a `postgresql` datasource, and a `.env` file with a placeholder `DATABASE_URL`.

3. **Set your connection details**

   In `.env`, replace the placeholder with your [connection details](/integrate/find-connection-details/index.md):

   Terminal window

   ```
   DATABASE_URL="postgresql://<user>:<password>@<host>:<port>/<dbname>?sslmode=require"
   ```

   Tiger Cloud requires an encrypted connection, so keep `sslmode=require` in the URL. If your service or database isn't reachable from where you run Prisma, make sure your network or firewall allows the connection first.

4. **Introspect your schema**

   Pull the existing schema from your service or database into `prisma/schema.prisma`:

   Terminal window

   ```
   npx prisma db pull
   ```

   Prisma connects using `DATABASE_URL` and adds a model for each table it finds. Running this again overwrites models it generated previously, so keep any manual edits to `schema.prisma` in version control before you re-run it.

5. **Generate Prisma Client**

   Generate a type-safe client from the introspected schema:

   Terminal window

   ```
   npx prisma generate
   ```

   Re-run this command any time `schema.prisma` changes, so Prisma Client stays in sync with it.

## Verify the integration

To confirm Prisma is working with your service or database:

1. **Query your data**

   In a script in your project, import Prisma Client and query one of the introspected models. Replace `<Model>` with the name Prisma generated for one of your tables:

   ```
   import { PrismaClient } from "@prisma/client";


   const prisma = new PrismaClient();


   const rows = await prisma.<Model>.findMany({ take: 10 });
   console.log(rows);
   ```

2. **Run the script**

   Run the script with Node (for example, `npx tsx script.ts` if you're using [tsx](https://www.npmjs.com/package/tsx), or compile with `tsc` first).

   You see rows from your service or database printed to the console, confirming Prisma Client can read your data.

You have successfully integrated Prisma with Tiger Data.

## Troubleshooting

- **`Environment variable not found: DATABASE_URL`:** the Prisma CLI loads `.env` from your project root automatically; if you moved the file or you're running Prisma Client from a different working directory, load it yourself with a package like `dotenv` before Prisma Client is instantiated.
- **`P1001: Can't reach database server`:** confirm the host and port in `DATABASE_URL`, and that your network allows outbound connections from where Prisma runs. For Tiger Cloud, make sure `sslmode=require` is set.
- **`prisma db pull` adds no models:** confirm the role in your connection string has `SELECT` access to the schema and tables you expect to see, and that those tables already exist. Prisma introspects existing structure, it doesn't create tables.

For other connectivity and authentication issues, see [Troubleshoot Tiger Cloud integrations](/integrate/troubleshooting/index.md).

## Next steps

[Find your connection details](/integrate/find-connection-details/index.md)

[Locate the host, port, database, user, and password for your service or database.](/integrate/find-connection-details/index.md)

[Connect your app](/integrate/code/connect-your-app/index.md)

[Connect to your service or database using other programming languages and client libraries.](/integrate/code/connect-your-app/index.md)