prisma-8
Comprehensive guide for building with Prisma 8 (Prisma Next), the contract-first data layer. Use whenever working on Prisma code in a project that uses it —…
npx skills add https://github.com/prisma/prisma --skill prisma-8Prisma Next (Prisma 8)
Edit your data contract. Prisma handles the rest.
Prisma Next is a contract-first data layer. This skill routes every Prisma Next task to the right reference file — open the reference before writing code; do not answer from this file alone.
The canonical model (one paragraph)
You author a data contract (a contract.prisma file, or a TypeScript builder). The framework emits machine-readable artifacts (contract.json, contract.d.ts) and gives you two runtime surfaces on SQL targets: a typed SQL query builder (db.sql.<ns>.<table>) and a typed ORM client (db.orm.<ns>.<Model>). On MongoDB targets only the ORM lane exists, and its keys are collection storage names (db.orm.users) rather than PSL model names — references/queries.md § MongoDB ORM addressing covers the rule. Migrations are planned from the contract diff; you review them, optionally edit the migration.ts for data transforms, and apply.
Three steps the user does:
- Edit your data contract. (
references/contract.md) - The system plans the migrations for you. (
references/migrations.md) - If you need data migrations, you edit
migration.tsand execute it. (references/migrations.md)
Everything else — queries, runtime wiring, build integration, debugging, feedback — sits on top of those three.
Routing table
Open the reference whose triggers match the task. If more than one matches, open each — they are written to compose.
| Task | Reference | Triggers |
|---|---|---|
| Adopt / set up / first steps | references/quickstart.md | new project, existing database, "what can I do with Prisma Next", "where do I start", "just ran createprisma", npx create-prisma, first steps, first query, prisma-next init greenfield setup, contract infer + db sign brownfield adoption, connect-write-read first arc, day-to-day commands (contract emit, db init, db update, migration plan, migrate, db schema, db verify), flags --target / --authoring / --schema-path / --probe-db / --output |
| Edit the data contract | references/contract.md | schema, models, fields, attributes, relations, indexes, enums, value objects (composite types), type aliases, namespaces (Postgres schemas), cross-contract foreign keys (cross-space FK), polymorphic types (@@discriminator / @@base), extension namespaces (pgvector.Vector(...), cipherstash.EncryptedString(...)), prisma.config.ts / defineConfig, prisma-next contract emit, PSL, contract.prisma, contract.ts, contract.json, contract.d.ts, @internal/postgres/config, @internal/postgres/contract-builder, @internal/mongo/config, extensions:, pgvector, cipherstash, postgis, paradedb, @@control, control policy (managed / tolerated / external / observed), soft delete, validations, callbacks |
| Author migrations | references/migrations.md | db update vs migration plan, migrate, migration new, migration show, db update --dry-run, db verify, db sign, data migration, dataTransform, placeholder sentinels in framework-rendered migration.ts, MIGRATION.HASH_MISMATCH, PN-MIG-2001 unfilled placeholder, schema drift |
| Review migrations on deploy | references/migration-review.md | "what migrations are going to run", "what runs on deploy / merge", merge conflict, diamond convergence, concurrent migrations, migration status, ref management for CI, staging / production environment refs, MIGRATION.DIVERGED, MIGRATION.NO_MARKER, MIGRATION.MARKER_NOT_IN_HISTORY, migrate status, migrate diff, migrate resolve |
| Write queries | references/queries.md | query, where, select, project, orderBy, take, skip, include, lookup, first, all, count, aggregate, groupBy, create, update, delete, upsert, returning, transaction, db.orm, db.sql, db.query.from(...) (Mongo pipeline), namespace-aware accessors, .all() Thenable, single-use iterators (RUNTIME.ITERATOR_CONSUMED), target-declared aggregate types (count, integer sum, and integer avg are number; count and integer sum throw outside ±(2^53 − 1) rather than round, while avg is a fraction already and carries no guard; countBigInt / sumBigInt / avgDecimal are the lossless forms, avgDecimal on PostgreSQL only), drizzle-style, kysely-style. Postgres/SQLite specifics: references/queries-postgres.md; Mongo specifics: references/queries-mongo.md |
| Wire the runtime | references/runtime.md | db.ts, postgres<Contract>(...) / sqlite<Contract>(...) / mongo<Contract>(...) façades, middleware composition (telemetry, lints, budgets), DATABASE_URL, .env, connection pool / poolOptions, dev vs prod config, transactions, read replicas, multi-database, script won't exit / hangs, db.close / pool.end, await using / [Symbol.asyncDispose] |
| Build-tool integration | references/build.md | Vite plugin (@internal/vite-plugin-contract-emit, Vite 7/8), vite.config.ts, contract emit on save, HMR / dev server, Next.js / Webpack / esbuild / Rollup / Turbopack (named gaps, not fabricated) |
| Supabase | references/supabase.md | @internal/extension-supabase, RLS, row level security, policies (policy_select / policy_update / @@rls, auth.uid()), role binding (asUser(jwt) / asAnon() / asServiceRole()), auth.users, cross-space FKs to supabase:auth.AuthUser, JWT / JWKS (SUPABASE_JWKS_URL, SUPABASE_JWT_SECRET), SUPABASE.JWT_INVALID, SUPABASE.CONFIG_INVALID, RoleBoundDb, session pooler |
| Debug an error | references/debug.md | any structured error envelope (code, domain, severity, why, fix, meta), emit failed, query won't typecheck, query crashed, migration won't apply, MIGRATION.HASH_MISMATCH, BUDGET.ROWS_EXCEEDED, BUDGET.TIME_EXCEEDED, RUNTIME.ABORTED, PLAN.HASH_MISMATCH, CONTRACT.MARKER_MISSING, PN-RUN-* / PN-MIG-* / PN-CLI-* / PN-SCHEMA-* codes, drift, capability missing, planner conflict, EXPLAIN, query log, script won't exit / close connection |
| File feedback / ask the team | references/feedback.md | bug report, file an issue, feature request, missing feature, capability gap, "this is broken", surprising behaviour, Q&A / design discussion, ask the Prisma team, Prisma Discord (pris.ly/discord), extension-author questions |
Routing rules
If the task clearly matches a row, open that reference directly without asking.
For a vague prompt, ask one disambiguating question. Pick from:
- "Are you new to Prisma Next and asking what you can do with it, or where to start?" →
references/quickstart.md(first-touch orientation path). - "Do you want to set up a new Prisma Next project, or wire it into an existing database?" →
references/quickstart.md. - "Do you want to edit your data contract (add a model / field / relation), or work with the database (migrations, queries)?" →
references/contract.mdvs the others. - "Is this about authoring a migration, or about reviewing what's going to run on deploy?" →
references/migrations.mdvsreferences/migration-review.md. - "Is this about wiring Prisma Next into your build tool (Vite / Next.js / …), or about wiring
db.tsand middleware at runtime?" →references/build.mdvsreferences/runtime.md. - "What error or symptom are you seeing?" →
references/debug.md. - "Do you want to report this as a bug to the Prisma Next team, or is this a feature request?" →
references/feedback.md.
If you still can't tell which reference applies, ask the user what they want to do. Do not guess.
Checklist
- If the task matches a routing-table row, open that reference before writing code.
- If the prompt is vague, ask one disambiguating question.
- Do not attempt to answer from this file alone — the references carry the verified tool surface.
- If the user describes a missing feature or a misbehaviour they want fixed, open
references/feedback.md.