surrealdb-js

name	surrealdb-js
description	Using SurrealDB from JavaScript and TypeScript with the official surrealdb SDK, covering connecting (WebSocket/HTTP and embedded engines), authentication, CRUD, parameterized queries, and live queries. Use when connecting to SurrealDB from Node, Deno, Bun, or the browser, using the surrealdb npm package, or performing CRUD and real-time operations from JS/TS code. Triggers: surrealdb JS, surrealdb.js, new Surreal(), db.query, db.create, db.live, TypeScript SDK, npm i surrealdb.
metadata	{"author":"surrealdb","version":"0.2.0"}

SurrealDB JavaScript SDK

The official SDK (surrealdb on npm) works in Node.js, Deno, Bun, and the browser. It connects to a remote SurrealDB instance over WebSocket/HTTP, or runs an embedded engine in-process. Target the latest stable surrealdb release; install without pinning (npm i surrealdb) unless the user requires a specific version.

Installation

npm i surrealdb
# or: pnpm i surrealdb / yarn add surrealdb / bun add surrealdb

Connect & select namespace/database

Always connect, then use a namespace + database, then authenticate. Close the connection when finished.

import { Surreal } from "surrealdb";

const db = new Surreal();
await db.connect("ws://127.0.0.1:8000/rpc");
await db.use({ namespace: "test", database: "test" });
await db.signin({ username: "root", password: "root" });

// ... work ...

await db.close();

Run a local server with surreal start -u root -p root rocksdb:mydb (or in-memory with surreal start -u root -p root). To run SurrealDB in-process with no server, see references/embedded.md.

Authentication

// Root / namespace / database users
await db.signin({ username: "root", password: "root" });
await db.signin({ namespace: "test", username: "ns_user", password: "..." });
await db.signin({ namespace: "test", database: "test", username: "db_user", password: "..." });

// Record (scope) access — sign in / sign up against a DEFINE ACCESS method
const token = await db.signin({
  namespace: "test",
  database: "test",
  access: "user",          // name of the access method
  variables: { email: "[e-mail]", pass: "secret" },
});

await db.signup({
  namespace: "test",
  database: "test",
  access: "user",
  variables: { email: "[e-mail]", pass: "secret" },
});

await db.authenticate(token); // re-auth with a stored JWT
await db.invalidate();        // log out the current session
const me = await db.info();   // info about the authenticated record user

CRUD

Pass a table as a string ("person") or a RecordId for a specific record. See references/data-types.md for RecordId, Table, Duration, Decimal, and other value classes.

import { RecordId } from "surrealdb";

interface Person { id: RecordId; name: string; age?: number; }

// Create (random id, or a specific RecordId)
await db.create<Person>("person", { name: "Tobie" });
await db.create<Person>(new RecordId("person", "tobie"), { name: "Tobie" });

// Select all from a table, or a single record
const people = await db.select<Person>("person");
const tobie = await db.select<Person>(new RecordId("person", "tobie"));

// Replace the whole record(s)
await db.update<Person>(new RecordId("person", "tobie"), { name: "Tobie", age: 30 });

// Insert or update (upsert)
await db.upsert<Person>(new RecordId("person", "tobie"), { name: "Tobie" });

// Merge partial data into record(s)
await db.merge<Person>("person", { active: true });

// JSON Patch a record
await db.patch(new RecordId("person", "tobie"), [
  { op: "replace", path: "/name", value: "Tobie M H" },
]);

// Bulk insert
await db.insert<Person>("person", [{ name: "A" }, { name: "B" }]);

// Graph relation:  person:tobie ->wrote-> article:surreal
await db.relate(new RecordId("person", "tobie"), "wrote", new RecordId("article", "surreal"));

// Delete record(s)
await db.delete("person");
await db.delete(new RecordId("person", "tobie"));

Queries

db.query<T>(sql, vars) runs raw SurrealQL and returns an array with one entry per statement. Always pass user input via bound parameters, never string interpolation.

const [people, count] = await db.query<[Person[], number]>(
  `SELECT * FROM person WHERE age > $min;
   SELECT count() FROM person GROUP ALL;`,
  { min: 18 },
);

// Bind values and RecordIds as parameters
const [found] = await db.query<[Person[]]>(
  "SELECT * FROM person WHERE id = $who",
  { who: new RecordId("person", "tobie") },
);

Other helpers: db.let(name, value) / db.unset(name) set session parameters usable as $name in later queries; db.run(fnName, version, args) invokes a defined function; db.queryRaw() returns the unparsed RPC response (status + timing per statement).

Live queries

Subscribe to real-time changes on a table with db.live(). Requires a WebSocket (or embedded) connection — not HTTP. See references/live-queries.md.

const queryUuid = await db.live<Person>("person", (action, result) => {
  // action: "CREATE" | "UPDATE" | "DELETE" | "CLOSE"
  console.log(action, result);
});

await db.kill(queryUuid); // stop the subscription

References

• references/data-types.md — RecordId, Table, Duration, Decimal, Uuid, geometry, and CBOR mapping.
• references/embedded.md — embedded engines via @surrealdb/node (RocksDB / SurrealKV / in-memory) and @surrealdb/wasm (in-memory / IndexedDB).
• references/live-queries.md — live, subscribeLive, and kill patterns.

Resources

• SDK documentation
• GitHub repository