## The short version

Move PostgreSQL data from Neon database to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: a jsonb column with a GIN index queried by path and containment, with an aggregate over matching documents (json=ok). Source procedure: Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` from the primary branch. Not migrated automatically: Neon branching, autoscaling and scale-to-zero semantics have no equivalent; the managed database is one instance per app. Cutover: Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy the app with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Neon project until confirmed. Rollback: keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

## What it needs

- [Postgres](/content/discover/primitive/postgres/index.html): verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)

## Before you start

- Authorized access to the Neon database source and its export tooling
- An inventory of every component in scope and out of scope
- A validated backup or copy before any cutover
- An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read

## How to do it

1. **Inventory the source**  
   List what Neon database provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Neon branching, autoscaling and scale-to-zero semantics have no equivalent; the managed database is one instance per app.

2. **Source step 1**  
   Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` from the primary branch

3. **Source step 2**  
   Check the Postgres major version and extensions in use against the managed engine (PostgreSQL 16)

4. **Source step 3**  
   Restore into a scratch managed database first and compare row counts

5. **Provision and restore**  
   Deploy the app once so a managed PostgreSQL 16 database exists (or create one with `ample database create --engine postgres`), then restore the dump with pg_restore using its connection string; keep migrations idempotent.
   
   ```
   ample database create --name <db-name> --engine postgres
   ```

6. **Validate before cutover**  
   Run the app's own checks and, for data, compare counts and checksums; the example checks are the pattern self-tests (/p/json-document-metadata).

7. **Cut over**  
   Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy the app with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Neon project until confirmed.

8. **Rollback**  
   Point DNS or configuration back to the source. The source was never modified; deletion is a separate, user-executed step after validation.

## Tested examples

- **Express pattern fixture (destination)** (`tests/deploy-canaries/express-patterns`): Verified destination basis: JSON document metadata.

## How to know it worked

- destination app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary express patterns)
- json-document-metadata check from the destination example (`/p/json-document-metadata` on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)
- data or object counts and checksums match the source

## Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision ca0b484a7a9957c573a88d3a32dc603c3c10135a).

- app server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD
- managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

Upper-bound monthly price of the tested sizes at the destination. Source costs are unknown to Ample.

## Verification evidence

- canary_run on 2026-09-21T02:34:39Z at revision `1d28ae0 (CLI 0.1.21)`: Destination side verified: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample (npm install, npm run build --if-present, npm run start on the node-22 template) and its checks passed (a jsonb column with a GIN index queried by path and containment, with an aggregate over matching documents (json=ok)). The source-side export from Neon database is documented from the vendor's standard tooling and was not executed by this catalog's evidence. (expires 2027-03-20T02:34:39Z)

## Execution binding

No execution binding. This recipe is documentation only; nothing is executed automatically.

## Typed next actions

- Browse the catalog index (`GET /v1/catalog` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (`POST /v1/catalog/search` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (`POST /v1/catalog/plan` on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
- Read the existing agent authentication setup (`GET /mcp/setup` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse Neon database (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/migration%3Aneon-database` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse JSON document metadata (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Ajson-document-metadata` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse Migrate Postgres (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Amigrate-postgres` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.

## Identifiers and status

Recipe `page:migrate:neon-database:json-document-metadata`. Revision r1.

release **published** support **verified** execution **unbound**

Formats: [HTML](/content/migrate/neon-database/json-document-metadata/index.html) | [Markdown](/content/migrate/neon-database/json-document-metadata.md) | [JSON contract](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Amigrate%3Aneon-database%3Ajson-document-metadata)