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prisma-8

build data layers with Prisma 8

Published by Prisma Updated Aug 28
Covers TypeScript Database ORM Prisma

Description

Comprehensive guide for building with Prisma 8 (Prisma Next), the contract-first data layer. Use whenever working on Prisma code in a project that uses it — authoring or editing the data contract (contract.prisma, PSL, TypeScript builders), migrations, queries (db.orm / db.sql), runtime wiring (db.ts, middleware, DATABASE_URL), build-tool integration, Supabase / RLS, reading PN-* structured errors, or filing feedback — and for orientation questions like "what is Prisma Next" or comparisons to other ORMs. Signals that this skill applies: @internal/* imports, prisma.config.ts, contract.prisma / contract.json / contract.d.ts, the prisma-next CLI, PN-* error codes. Also covers upgrading Prisma in a project — "upgrade Prisma 8", "bump Prisma Next", "move to Prisma Next X.Y", or dealing with an @internal/* version bump, in a consumer app or in an extension package. Does not apply to Prisma ORM 7 or earlier (schema.prisma + @prisma/client projects).

SKILL.md

Prisma Next (Prisma 8)

Edit your data contract. Prisma handles the rest.

Prisma 8 moves fast, and your training data about it is very likely outdated. This skill ships inside the installed Prisma packages, so it describes the exact version this project has — treat it and its reference files as the source of truth, over anything you remember about Prisma. The metadata.library_version in this file's frontmatter is the version it was published with; if it does not match the project's installed Prisma packages, run prisma skills sync and re-read.

Prisma Next is a contract-first data layer. This skill routes every Prisma Next task to the right reference file — open the reference before writing code; do not answer from this file alone.

The canonical model (one paragraph)

You author a data contract (a contract.prisma file, or a TypeScript builder). The framework emits machine-readable artifacts (contract.json, contract.d.ts) and gives you two runtime surfaces on SQL targets: a typed SQL query builder (db.sql.<ns>.<table>) and a typed ORM client (db.orm.<ns>.<Model>). On MongoDB targets only the ORM lane exists, and its keys are collection storage names (db.orm.users) rather than PSL model names — references/queries.md § MongoDB ORM addressing covers the rule. Migrations are planned from the contract diff; you review them, optionally edit the migration.ts for data transforms, and apply.

Three steps the user does:

  1. Edit your data contract. (references/contract.md)
  2. The system plans the migrations for you. (references/migrations.md)
  3. If you need data migrations, you edit migration.ts and execute it. (references/migrations.md)

Everything else — queries, runtime wiring, build integration, debugging, feedback — sits on top of those three.

One cross-cutting migration fact: migration plan does not chain from the newest migration on disk. Its origin is --from, else the db ref, else an empty database — so a project with no ref keeps planning from scratch. Over existing migrations the CLI refuses that (MIGRATION.PLAN_ORIGIN_UNKNOWN) instead of writing a full-create package; choose the exit that matches your intent rather than reflexively passing --from @empty. references/migration-model.md § The trap explains which to choose.

Routing table

Open the reference whose triggers match the task. If more than one matches, open each — they are written to compose.

TaskReferenceTriggers
Adopt / set up / first stepsreferences/quickstart.mdnew project, existing database, "what can I do with Prisma Next", "where do I start", "just ran createprisma", npx create-prisma, first steps, first query, prisma orm init greenfield setup, contract infer + db sign brownfield adoption, connect-write-read first arc, day-to-day commands (contract emit, db init, db update, migration plan, db migrate, db schema, db verify), flags --target / --authoring / --schema-path / --probe-db / --output
Edit the data contractreferences/contract.mdschema, models, fields, attributes, relations, indexes, enums, value objects (composite types), type aliases, namespaces (Postgres schemas), cross-contract foreign keys (cross-space FK), polymorphic types (@@discriminator / @@base), extension namespaces (pgvector.Vector(...), cipherstash.EncryptedString(...)), prisma.config.ts / defineConfig, prisma contract emit, PSL, contract.prisma, contract.ts, contract.json, contract.d.ts, @internal/postgres/config, @internal/postgres/contract-builder, @internal/mongo/config, extensions:, pgvector, cipherstash, postgis, paradedb, @@control, control policy (managed / tolerated / external / observed), soft delete, validations, callbacks
Author migrationsreferences/migrations.mddb update vs migration plan, db migrate, migration new, migration show, db update --dry-run, db verify, db sign, data migration, dataTransform, placeholder sentinels in framework-rendered migration.ts, MIGRATION.HASH_MISMATCH, PN-MIG-2001 unfilled placeholder, schema drift
Migration graph, refs, plan originreferences/migration-model.mdmigration graph, refs, migration ref set / list / delete, the db ref, --advance-ref, migration plan --from, from: (baseline) in plan output, greenfield / from-scratch plan, baseline, first migration before deploy (Composer / CD-managed databases), chaining migrations, retrofitting migrations onto an existing database, MIGRATION.HASH_NOT_IN_GRAPH, MIGRATION.PATH_UNREACHABLE at plan/chain time
Review migrations on deployreferences/migration-review.md"what migrations are going to run", "what runs on deploy / merge", merge conflict, diamond convergence, concurrent migrations, migration status, ref management for CI, staging / production environment refs, MIGRATION.DIVERGED, MIGRATION.NO_MARKER, MIGRATION.MARKER_NOT_IN_HISTORY, db migrate status, db migrate diff, db migrate resolve
Write queriesreferences/queries.mdquery, where, select, project, orderBy, limit, offset, take, skip, include, lookup, first, all, count, aggregate, groupBy, create, update, delete, upsert, returning, transaction, db.orm, db.sql, db.query.from(...) (Mongo pipeline), namespace-aware accessors, .all() Thenable, single-use iterators (RUNTIME.ITERATOR_CONSUMED), target-declared aggregate types (count, integer sum, and integer avg are number; count and integer sum throw outside ±(2^53 − 1) rather than round, while avg is a fraction already and carries no guard; countBigInt / sumBigInt / avgDecimal are the lossless forms, avgDecimal on PostgreSQL only), drizzle-style, kysely-style. Postgres/SQLite specifics: references/queries-postgres.md; Mongo specifics: references/queries-mongo.md
Wire the runtimereferences/runtime.mddb.ts, postgres<Contract>(...) / sqlite<Contract>(...) / mongo<Contract>(...) façades, middleware composition (telemetry, lints, budgets), DATABASE_URL, .env, connection pool / poolOptions, dev vs prod config, transactions, read replicas, multi-database, script won't exit / hangs, db.close / pool.end, await using / [Symbol.asyncDispose]
Build-tool integrationreferences/build.mdVite plugin (@internal/vite-plugin-contract-emit, Vite 7/8), vite.config.ts, contract emit on save, HMR / dev server, Next.js / Webpack / esbuild / Rollup / Turbopack (named gaps, not fabricated)
Supabasereferences/supabase.md@internal/extension-supabase, RLS, row level security, policies (policy_select / policy_update / @@rls, auth.uid()), role binding (asUser(jwt) / asAnon() / asServiceRole()), auth.users, cross-space FKs to supabase:auth.AuthUser, JWT / JWKS (SUPABASE_JWKS_URL, SUPABASE_JWT_SECRET), SUPABASE.JWT_INVALID, SUPABASE.CONFIG_INVALID, RoleBoundDb, session pooler
Debug an errorreferences/debug.mdany structured error envelope (code, domain, severity, why, fix, meta), emit failed, query won't typecheck, query crashed, migration won't apply, MIGRATION.HASH_MISMATCH, BUDGET.ROWS_EXCEEDED, BUDGET.TIME_EXCEEDED, RUNTIME.ABORTED, PLAN.HASH_MISMATCH, CONTRACT.MARKER_MISSING, PN-RUN-/ PN-MIG- / PN-CLI-/ PN-SCHEMA- codes, drift, capability missing, planner conflict, EXPLAIN, query log, script won't exit / close connection
Upgrade Prisma in an appreferences/upgrade-app.md"upgrade Prisma", "upgrade Prisma Next", "bump Prisma Next", "move to Prisma Next X.Y", @internal/* version bump in an application, per-transition upgrade instructions in upgrading/app/upgrades/, extension-pin pre-flight, PN-UPGRADE-*
Upgrade Prisma in an extensionreferences/upgrade-extension.mdthe same request in a package that is a Prisma extension (@internal/contract / SPI dependency, ^@.*/extension- name), prisma-8-check-pins, exact-pin rule, per-transition instructions in upgrading/extension/upgrades/
File feedback / ask the teamreferences/feedback.mdbug report, file an issue, feature request, missing feature, capability gap, "this is broken", surprising behaviour, Q&A / design discussion, ask the Prisma team, Prisma Discord (pris.ly/discord), extension-author questions

Routing rules

If the task clearly matches a row, open that reference directly without asking.

For a vague prompt, ask one disambiguating question. Pick from:

If you still can't tell which reference applies, ask the user what they want to do. Do not guess.

Checklist

  • If the task matches a routing-table row, open that reference before writing code.
  • If the prompt is vague, ask one disambiguating question.
  • Do not attempt to answer from this file alone — the references carry the verified tool surface.
  • If the user describes a missing feature or a misbehaviour they want fixed, open references/feedback.md.
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