api-baas-vercel-postgres

Vercel Postgres Patterns

Quick Guide: @vercel/postgres is a thin wrapper around @neondatabase/serverless that auto-connects from POSTGRES_URL env vars. Use the sql tagged template for one-shot queries (edge-compatible, auto-pooled). Use sql.connect() to get a client for multi-query sequences. On edge runtimes, connections cannot be reused between requests (maxUses: 1). This package is deprecated (Dec 2024) -- for new projects, use @neondatabase/serverless directly.

---

<critical_requirements>

CRITICAL: Before Using This Skill

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md (kebab-case, named exports, import ordering, import type, named constants)

(You MUST use the sql tagged template for one-shot queries -- it auto-connects from POSTGRES_URL and handles pooling)

(You MUST call client.release() after using a client obtained from sql.connect() or pool.connect() -- leaked clients exhaust the connection pool)

(You MUST use POSTGRES_URL for pooled connections and POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING for direct connections -- mixing them causes connection exhaustion or feature limitations)

(You MUST acknowledge that @vercel/postgres is deprecated -- recommend @neondatabase/serverless for new projects)

</critical_requirements>

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Auto-detection: @vercel/postgres, vercel postgres, POSTGRES_URL, POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING, sql tagged template vercel, createPool vercel, createClient vercel, VercelPool, VercelClient

When to use:

• Maintaining existing projects that already use @vercel/postgres
• Querying Postgres from edge/serverless functions on Vercel
• Simple database access with auto-connection from environment variables
• Migrating away from @vercel/postgres to @neondatabase/serverless

Key patterns covered:

• sql tagged template (auto-pooled, edge-compatible, one-shot queries)
• sql.connect() for multi-query client sessions
• createPool() / createClient() for custom configurations
• Environment variables (POSTGRES_URL, POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING)
• Edge vs Node.js runtime differences
• Migration path to @neondatabase/serverless

When NOT to use:

• New projects (use @neondatabase/serverless directly)
• Long-lived server processes with persistent connections (use standard pg driver)
• General PostgreSQL query syntax (use a SQL/Postgres skill)

Detailed Resources:

• For decision frameworks and quick lookup tables, see reference.md

Examples:

• examples/core.md -- sql tagged template, createPool, createClient, edge patterns, migration

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Philosophy

@vercel/postgres is a convenience wrapper around @neondatabase/serverless that simplifies connection management for Vercel-deployed applications. It reads connection strings from POSTGRES_URL / POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING environment variables (auto-provisioned by the Vercel Marketplace integration) so you never construct connection strings manually.

Core principles:

1. Zero-config connections -- The sql export auto-connects from environment variables. No connection string setup needed in code.
2. Tagged template safety -- sql is a tagged template literal, not a function. Parameters are auto-parameterized, preventing SQL injection.
3. Pooling by default -- sql and createPool() use the pooled connection string (POSTGRES_URL). createClient() uses the direct string (POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING).
4. Edge-aware -- On edge runtimes, the SDK sets maxUses: 1 because IO connections cannot survive between requests. For multi-query in a single request, use sql.connect().

Deprecation context:

Vercel Postgres was sunset in December 2024. All databases were migrated to Neon. The @vercel/postgres npm package (v0.10.0) is no longer maintained. Two migration paths exist:

• Drop-in replacement: @neondatabase/vercel-postgres-compat (same API, maintained by Neon)
• Full migration: @neondatabase/serverless (actively developed, richer API with HTTP transactions and composable fragments)

---

Core Patterns

Pattern 1: One-Shot Queries with sql

The sql export is a tagged template that auto-connects from POSTGRES_URL. It handles pooling internally.

import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

// Tagged template -- values are auto-parameterized (safe from injection)
const ACTIVE_STATUS = "active";
const { rows } =
  await sql`SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE status = ${ACTIVE_STATUS}`;

Why good: Zero-config (reads POSTGRES_URL automatically), auto-parameterized preventing SQL injection, connection pooling handled internally, named constant for status

// BAD: String interpolation instead of tagged template
const status = "active";
const { rows } = await sql.query(
  `SELECT * FROM users WHERE status = '${status}'`,
);

Why bad: String interpolation bypasses parameterization -- SQL injection vulnerability, uses .query() with string instead of tagged template

---

Pattern 2: Multi-Query Sessions with sql.connect()

When you need multiple queries on the same connection (transactions, sequential operations), obtain a client.

import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

async function transferFunds(fromId: string, toId: string, amount: number) {
  const client = await sql.connect();

  try {
    await client.sql`BEGIN`;
    await client.sql`UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - ${amount} WHERE id = ${fromId}`;
    await client.sql`UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance + ${amount} WHERE id = ${toId}`;
    await client.sql`COMMIT`;
  } catch (error) {
    await client.sql`ROLLBACK`;
    throw error;
  } finally {
    client.release();
  }
}

Why good: Client obtained from pool for multi-query, explicit BEGIN/COMMIT/ROLLBACK for transaction, client.release() in finally block prevents connection leaks, uses tagged template on client

// BAD: Multiple sql calls without a shared client
import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

await sql`BEGIN`; // Gets connection A
await sql`UPDATE accounts SET balance = balance - ${amount} WHERE id = ${fromId}`; // Gets connection B!
await sql`COMMIT`; // Gets connection C -- BEGIN was on A, this COMMIT does nothing useful

Why bad: Each sql call may use a different connection from the pool -- BEGIN/COMMIT on different connections means the transaction is not atomic

---

Pattern 3: Custom Pool with createPool()

Use createPool() when you need custom configuration or a non-default connection string.

import { createPool } from "@vercel/postgres";

// Custom pool with explicit connection string
const pool = createPool({
  connectionString: process.env.SECONDARY_POSTGRES_URL,
});

const { rows } =
  await pool.sql`SELECT id, title FROM posts WHERE published = true`;

Why good: Useful for connecting to a secondary database, pool provides same sql tagged template interface, explicit connection string when POSTGRES_URL isn't appropriate

Custom Client with createClient()

import { createClient } from "@vercel/postgres";

// Direct (non-pooled) connection -- reads POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING by default
const client = createClient();
await client.connect();

try {
  const { rows } = await client.sql`SELECT id, name FROM users LIMIT 10`;
  return rows;
} finally {
  await client.end();
}

When to use: Migrations, administrative operations, or scenarios requiring session-level features (SET, LISTEN/NOTIFY) that PgBouncer's transaction mode does not support.

---

Pattern 4: Edge Runtime Considerations

On edge runtimes, IO connections cannot be reused between requests. The SDK automatically sets maxUses: 1.

// Edge function -- single query is fine with sql
import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

export const runtime = "edge";

export async function GET() {
  const { rows } =
    await sql`SELECT id, title FROM posts ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 10`;
  return Response.json(rows);
}

Why good: Single sql call works naturally on edge, no connection management needed

// Edge function -- multiple queries need a shared client
import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

export const runtime = "edge";

export async function GET() {
  // sql.connect() gets a client from the pool -- reuse it for multiple queries
  const client = await sql.connect();

  try {
    const { rows: posts } =
      await client.sql`SELECT id, title FROM posts LIMIT 10`;
    const { rows: counts } =
      await client.sql`SELECT count(*)::int AS total FROM posts`;
    return Response.json({ posts, total: counts[0].total });
  } finally {
    client.release();
  }
}

Why good: On edge with maxUses: 1, each pool.connect() opens a new connection -- reusing the client avoids opening multiple connections per request

---

Pattern 5: Migration to @neondatabase/serverless

Since @vercel/postgres is deprecated, here are the migration paths.

Drop-In Replacement (Minimal Changes)

// Before
import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";

// After -- same API, maintained by Neon
import { sql } from "@neondatabase/vercel-postgres-compat";

// Code stays the same
const { rows } = await sql`SELECT id, name FROM users`;

When to use: Existing projects that need a quick fix without rewriting query code.

Full Migration (Recommended for New Code)

// Before (@vercel/postgres)
import { sql } from "@vercel/postgres";
const { rows } = await sql`SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE status = ${status}`;

// After (@neondatabase/serverless)
import { neon } from "@neondatabase/serverless";
const sql = neon(process.env.DATABASE_URL!);
const rows = await sql`SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE status = ${status}`;

Key differences:

• @vercel/postgres returns { rows, rowCount, ... } -- @neondatabase/serverless returns rows directly (unless fullResults: true)
• @vercel/postgres reads POSTGRES_URL -- @neondatabase/serverless requires explicit connection string (typically DATABASE_URL)
• @neondatabase/serverless adds HTTP transactions via sql.transaction() and composable fragments

---

<decision_framework>

Decision Framework

Which API to Use

What kind of operation?
+-- Single query (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE)
|   +-- Use sql tagged template directly
+-- Multiple queries that must be atomic (transaction)?
|   +-- Use sql.connect() to get a client, wrap in BEGIN/COMMIT
+-- Need custom connection string (not POSTGRES_URL)?
|   +-- Use createPool() with explicit connectionString
+-- Need session-level features (SET, LISTEN/NOTIFY)?
|   +-- Use createClient() (reads POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING)
+-- Starting a new project?
    +-- Use @neondatabase/serverless instead

Environment Variable Selection

What is the workload?
+-- Serverless/edge function --> POSTGRES_URL (pooled)
+-- Application queries --> POSTGRES_URL (pooled)
+-- Schema migrations --> POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING (direct)
+-- LISTEN/NOTIFY --> POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING (direct)
+-- pg_dump / pg_restore --> POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING (direct)

</decision_framework>

---

<red_flags>

RED FLAGS

High Priority Issues:

• Using sql for transactions without sql.connect() -- Each sql tagged template call may use a different pooled connection. BEGIN on one connection and COMMIT on another means no transaction at all.
• Forgetting client.release() after sql.connect() -- Leaked clients exhaust the connection pool, causing all subsequent queries to hang until timeout.
• Using POSTGRES_URL for migrations -- The pooled connection runs through PgBouncer in transaction mode, which breaks session-level features needed by migration tools.

Medium Priority Issues:

• String interpolation instead of tagged template -- sql`...${value}...` is safe. sql.query(\...${value}...`)` is SQL injection.
• Creating pools/clients without closing them -- createClient() requires explicit client.end(). Forgetting it leaks connections.
• Ignoring deprecation -- @vercel/postgres v0.10.0 is the last version. No security patches or bug fixes will be released.

Gotchas & Edge Cases:

• Edge runtime maxUses: 1 -- On edge, the pool cannot reuse connections within a request. If you fire multiple sql calls, each opens a new connection. Use sql.connect() to share one.
• sql is a tagged template, not a function -- sql(...) is wrong. sql`...` is correct. This is a common error when copying from non-Vercel Postgres examples.
• POSTGRES_URL vs DATABASE_URL -- @vercel/postgres reads POSTGRES_URL by default. @neondatabase/serverless reads nothing by default (pass explicitly). After Neon migration, Vercel sets both, but your code must match the SDK's expectation.
• PgBouncer transaction mode limitations -- Through pooled connections: no SET/RESET, no LISTEN/NOTIFY, no temporary tables with PRESERVE, no session-level advisory locks.
• Result shape differs from @neondatabase/serverless -- @vercel/postgres returns { rows, rowCount, fields }. The Neon neon() function returns rows directly. This breaks code during migration if not accounted for.

</red_flags>

---

<critical_reminders>

CRITICAL REMINDERS

All code must follow project conventions in CLAUDE.md (kebab-case, named exports, import ordering, import type, named constants)

(You MUST use the sql tagged template for one-shot queries -- it auto-connects from POSTGRES_URL and handles pooling)

(You MUST call client.release() after using a client obtained from sql.connect() or pool.connect() -- leaked clients exhaust the connection pool)

(You MUST use POSTGRES_URL for pooled connections and POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING for direct connections -- mixing them causes connection exhaustion or feature limitations)

(You MUST acknowledge that @vercel/postgres is deprecated -- recommend @neondatabase/serverless for new projects)

Failure to follow these rules will cause connection pool exhaustion, SQL injection vulnerabilities, or silent transaction failures.

</critical_reminders>