postgres

name	postgres
version	1.0.0
min_doctl_version	1.82.0
description	Configure DigitalOcean Managed Postgres with bindable variables or schema isolation. Use when setting up databases, creating users, managing permissions, configuring multi-tenant schemas, or troubleshooting database connectivity on App Platform.
related_skills	["designer","networking"]
deprecated	false

Postgres Skill

Configure DigitalOcean Managed Postgres databases with proper security isolation and production-ready defaults.

Quick Decision

Need multiple isolated schemas in one database?
├── YES → Path B (Schema Isolation)
└── NO  → Path A (Bindable Variables) ✅ RECOMMENDED

---

Path A: Bindable Variables (Recommended)

Use when: Single app per database, standard CRUD applications.

Quick Start

# 1. Create cluster + user via doctl (DO stores password internally)
doctl databases create my-app-db --engine pg --region nyc3 --size db-s-1vcpu-2gb
CLUSTER_ID=$(doctl databases list --format ID,Name --no-header | grep my-app-db | awk '{print $1}')
doctl databases db create $CLUSTER_ID myappdb
doctl databases user create $CLUSTER_ID myappuser

# 2. Grant permissions (REQUIRED - users have no access by default!)
# Run: scripts/grant_permissions.sql as doadmin

# 3. Reference in app spec

# .do/app.yaml
databases:
  - name: db
    engine: PG
    production: true
    cluster_name: my-app-db
    db_name: myappdb
    db_user: myappuser

services:
  - name: api
    envs:
      - key: DATABASE_URL
        scope: RUN_TIME
        value: ${db.DATABASE_URL}

Full guide: See path-a-bindable-vars.md

---

Path B: Schema Isolation

Use when: Multi-tenant SaaS, multiple apps sharing one cluster, schema-level isolation needed.

Quick Start

# Hands-free setup (requires gh CLI)
./scripts/secure_setup.sh \
  --admin-url "$ADMIN_URL" \
  --app-name myapp \
  --schema myapp \
  --repo owner/repo

Password flows directly to GitHub Secrets — never displayed.

Full guide: See path-b-schema-isolation.md

---

Available Bindable Variables

Variable	Example
${db.DATABASE_URL}	postgresql://user:pass@host:25060/db?sslmode=require
${db.HOSTNAME}	my-db-do-user-123.db.ondigitalocean.com
${db.PORT}	25060
${db.USERNAME}	myappuser
${db.PASSWORD}	(auto-populated)
${db.DATABASE}	myappdb
${db.CA_CERT}	(certificate content)

---

Scripts

Script	Purpose
scripts/secure_setup.sh	Hands-free Path B setup with GitHub Secrets
scripts/create_schema_user.py	Create isolated schema + user
scripts/list_schemas_users.py	Audit existing schemas/users
scripts/generate_connection_string.py	Build connection strings

---

Reference Files

• path-a-bindable-vars.md — Full Path A workflow, connection pools, multi-app setup
• path-b-schema-isolation.md — Full Path B workflow, multi-tenant patterns
• orm-configurations.md — Prisma, SQLAlchemy, Drizzle, TypeORM configs
• database-migrations.md — Alembic, Prisma Migrate, Drizzle Migrate
• doctl-reference.md — All doctl databases commands
• troubleshooting.md — Common errors and fixes
• bundled-scripts.md — Script usage documentation

---

Common Issues (Quick Fixes)

Error	Fix
"permission denied for schema"	Run permission SQL as doadmin
"relation does not exist"	Check search_path or use schema-qualified names
"too many connections"	Create connection pool via doctl
"SSL connection required"	Add ?sslmode=require to connection string
Bindable vars not populated	Verify production: true and names match exactly

Full troubleshooting: See troubleshooting.md

---

Integration with Other Skills

• → designer: Add database block to app spec
• → deployment: GitHub Actions workflow with DATABASE_URL secret
• → devcontainers: Local Postgres with prod parity
• → troubleshooting: Debug container for connectivity testing