## The short version

Move PostgreSQL data from Neon database to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: a generated tsvector column with a GIN index, ranked websearch queries and a negative query returning nothing (search=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. 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. 2

### Source step 1

Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` from the primary branch

3. 3

### Source step 2

Check the Postgres major version and extensions in use against the managed engine (PostgreSQL 16)

4. 4

### Source step 3

Restore into a scratch managed database first and compare row counts

5. 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. 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/text-search-over-records).

7. 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. 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: text search over records.

## How to know it worked

- destination app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary express patterns)
- text-search-over-records check from the destination example (`/p/text-search-over-records` 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 generated tsvector column with a GIN index, ranked websearch queries and a negative query returning nothing (search=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.