prisma-orm-v7-skills

name	prisma-orm-v7-skills
description	Key facts and breaking changes for upgrading to Prisma ORM 7. Consider version 7 changes before generation or troubleshooting

Links

• Upgrade guide (v7): https://www.prisma.io/docs/orm/more/upgrade-guides/upgrading-versions/upgrading-to-prisma-7
• Prisma Config reference: https://www.prisma.io/docs/orm/reference/prisma-config-reference
• Prisma Client Extensions: https://www.prisma.io/docs/orm/prisma-client/client-extensions
• Prisma 7 migration prompt (AI agents): https://www.prisma.io/docs/ai/prompts/prisma-7

Upgrade

# Upgrade packages
pnpm add @prisma/client@7
pnpm add -D prisma@7

Breaking Changes (v7)

Minimum versions

• Node.js: 20.19.0+ (and 22.x)
• TypeScript: 5.4.0+

Prisma is now ESM

• Prisma ORM ships as ES modules.
• Set "type": "module" in package.json (or migrate your project to ESM).
• TypeScript projects must compile/resolve ESM (guide example: module: ESNext, target: ES2023, moduleResolution: node).

Prisma schema + generation changes

• Generator provider: prisma-client-js → prisma-client.
• output is required in generator client.
• Prisma Client is no longer generated into node_modules by default.
• After npx prisma generate, update imports to your generated output path (example: import { PrismaClient } from './generated/prisma/client').

Schema datasource deprecations:

• url, directUrl, shadowDatabaseUrl in schema.prisma are deprecated.
• Move datasource config to prisma.config.ts (Prisma Config).
• If you used directUrl for migrations, set the CLI migration connection string in prisma.config.ts.

Driver adapters required for Prisma Client (new instantiation)

• Prisma Client creation now requires a driver adapter for all databases.
• Example adapters:
  • Postgres: @prisma/adapter-pg (use PrismaPg with a direct DB connection string)
  • SQLite: @prisma/adapter-better-sqlite3

Prisma Accelerate users (v6 → v7)

• Do not pass prisma:// or prisma+postgres:// (Accelerate URLs) to a driver adapter.
• Keep the Accelerate URL and instantiate Prisma Client with the Accelerate extension instead.

Env vars are not loaded by default

• Prisma CLI no longer auto-loads .env files in v7.
• Explicitly load env vars (for example import 'dotenv/config' in prisma.config.ts, or load env in your scripts).
• Bun users: no change required (bun auto-loads .env).

Prisma CLI config moved to prisma.config.ts

• Prisma Config is now the default place to configure how Prisma CLI behaves.
• Place prisma.config.ts at the project root (next to package.json).
• Configure schema path, migrations path/seed, and datasource URL there.

Client middleware removed

• prisma.$use(...) is removed.
• Migrate middleware logic to Prisma Client Extensions.

Metrics removed from Client Extensions

• The Metrics preview feature is removed in v7.
• Use your database driver/adapter or implement custom counters via extensions.

Migrate/seed/generate behavior changes

• Automatic seeding after prisma migrate dev / prisma migrate reset is removed.
  • Run seeding explicitly: pnpm prisma db seed (or pnpm exec prisma db seed).
• --skip-generate and --skip-seed flags removed.
• prisma migrate dev and prisma db push no longer run prisma generate automatically.
  • Run pnpm prisma generate (or pnpm exec prisma generate) explicitly.

Prisma-specific env vars removed

• Removed env vars:
  • PRISMA_CLI_QUERY_ENGINE_TYPE
  • PRISMA_CLIENT_ENGINE_TYPE
  • PRISMA_QUERY_ENGINE_BINARY
  • PRISMA_QUERY_ENGINE_LIBRARY
  • PRISMA_GENERATE_SKIP_AUTOINSTALL
  • PRISMA_SKIP_POSTINSTALL_GENERATE
  • PRISMA_GENERATE_IN_POSTINSTALL
  • PRISMA_GENERATE_DATAPROXY
  • PRISMA_GENERATE_NO_ENGINE
  • PRISMA_CLIENT_NO_RETRY
  • PRISMA_MIGRATE_SKIP_GENERATE
  • PRISMA_MIGRATE_SKIP_SEED

MongoDB support

• Prisma ORM 7 does not support MongoDB yet; stay on Prisma ORM 6 if you need MongoDB.

Upgrade Checklist (quick)

• Upgrade packages; confirm Node/TypeScript versions.
• Move to ESM (or adjust your runtime/build to consume ESM).
• Update schema.prisma generator to provider = "prisma-client" and set output.
• Run pnpm prisma generate and update Prisma Client imports to the generated output path.
• Add prisma.config.ts at repo root; move datasource config and load env explicitly.
• Update Prisma Client instantiation to use a driver adapter (unless using Accelerate).
• Update workflows: run pnpm prisma generate and pnpm prisma db seed explicitly.