page:guides:sveltekit:database connection

Connect Postgres for SvelteKit

Connect a SvelteKit app to PostgreSQL on Ample. Read DATABASE_URL at runtime with pg: when you supply one with --env it is delivered encrypted and takes precedence; when you supply none and the app needs PostgreSQL, Ample auto-provisions a managed PostgreSQL 16 database and injects its connection string.

Representative Queries

• Connect Postgres for SvelteKit
• Where can I host Connect Postgres built with SvelteKit?
• I need driver setup, connection settings, secret handling and a real connection test.

Resource Requirements

• Primitive Compute
• Primitive Postgres

Infrastructure Requirements

• Compute: Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.
• Postgres: Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.

Workload

Connect Postgres

Prerequisites

• pg reading the DATABASE_URL environment variable at runtime
• Either a production DATABASE_URL to pass with --env, or nothing (auto-provision)
• An Ample account token with servers:write and databases:read

Workflow Steps

1. Read the URL at runtime
   Open connections from the DATABASE_URL environment variable inside the app; never commit credentials and never connect at build time.
2. Choose the source of the database
   Pass --env DATABASE_URL=... for an existing database, or omit it to let Ample provision a managed one on first deploy and reuse it on redeploys.
   ample deploy . --name --public
3. Test the connection through the app
   Expose a route (/db) that runs a trivial query and returns postgres=ok.
4. Verify
   Fetch the live URL and run the success checks below. On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.
   ample logs --kind build

Examples

SvelteKit + PostgreSQL canary: Auto-provisioned managed database with a real query.

Success Checks

• Database route reports a live connection
  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /db
  • Expect: postgres=ok

Limitations

• Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified.
• Apps and their managed databases are placed together; cross-node shared databases are unsupported.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml.

Note: Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

Evidence Summary

• Canary Run: SvelteKit server endpoints using pg with an auto-provisioned managed PostgreSQL database: /db reported postgres=ok.
• Canary Run: Node app needing PostgreSQL with no DATABASE_URL: a managed database was auto-provisioned and /db reported postgres=ok.

Next Actions

• Browse the catalog index
  Action Id: browse-catalog
  Method: GET
  Relative Path: /v1/catalog
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints
  Action Id: search-recipes
  Method: POST
  Relative Path: /v1/catalog/search
  Parameters: { "body": { "limit": 5, "query": "Connect Postgres for SvelteKit" } }
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project
  Action Id: plan:page:guides:sveltekit:database-connection
  Method: POST
  Relative Path: /v1/catalog/plan
  Parameters: { "body": { "inputs": {}, "projectId": "", "recipeId": "page:guides:sveltekit:database-connection", "recipeRevision": "r1" } }

This document provides guidelines for connecting a SvelteKit application to a Postgres database in various environments.