Prisma CLI

---
name: prisma-cli
description: Prisma CLI commands reference covering all available commands, options, and usage patterns. Use when running Prisma CLI commands, setting up projects, generating client, running migrations, managing databases, or starting Prisma's MCP server. Triggers on "prisma init", "prisma generate", "prisma migrate", "prisma db", "prisma studio", "prisma mcp".
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: prisma
  version: "7.6.0"
---

# Prisma CLI Reference

Complete reference for all Prisma CLI commands. This skill provides guidance on command usage, options, and best practices for current Prisma releases.

## When to Apply

Reference this skill when:
- Setting up a new Prisma project (`prisma init`)
- Generating Prisma Client (`prisma generate`)
- Running database migrations (`prisma migrate`)
- Managing database state (`prisma db push/pull`)
- Using local development database (`prisma dev`)
- Debugging Prisma issues (`prisma debug`)

## Rule Categories by Priority

| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|----------|----------|--------|--------|
| 1 | Setup | HIGH | `init` |
| 2 | Generation | HIGH | `generate` |
| 3 | Development | HIGH | `dev` |
| 4 | Database | HIGH | `db-` |
| 5 | Migrations | CRITICAL | `migrate-` |
| 6 | Utility | MEDIUM | `studio`, `validate`, `format`, `debug`, `mcp` |

## Command Categories

| Category | Commands | Purpose |
|----------|----------|---------|
| Setup | `init` | Bootstrap new Prisma project |
| Generation | `generate` | Generate Prisma Client |
| Validation | `validate`, `format` | Schema validation and formatting |
| Development | `dev` | Local Prisma Postgres for development |
| Database | `db pull`, `db push`, `db seed`, `db execute` | Direct database operations |
| Migrations | `migrate dev`, `migrate deploy`, `migrate reset`, `migrate status`, `migrate diff`, `migrate resolve` | Schema migrations |
| Utility | `studio`, `mcp`, `version`, `debug` | Development and AI tooling |

## Quick Reference

### Project Setup

```bash
# Initialize new project (creates prisma/ folder and prisma.config.ts)
prisma init

# Initialize with specific database
prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql
prisma init --datasource-provider mysql
prisma init --datasource-provider sqlite

# Initialize with Prisma Postgres (cloud)
prisma init --db

# Initialize with an example model
prisma init --with-model
```

### Client Generation

```bash
# Generate Prisma Client
prisma generate

# Watch mode for development
prisma generate --watch

# Generate specific generator only
prisma generate --generator client
```

### Bun Runtime

When using Bun, always add the `--bun` flag so Prisma runs with the Bun runtime (otherwise it falls back to Node.js because of the CLI shebang):

```bash
bunx --bun prisma init
bunx --bun prisma generate
```

### Local Development Database

```bash
# Start local Prisma Postgres
prisma dev

# Start with specific name
prisma dev --name myproject

# Start in background (detached)
prisma dev --detach

# List all local instances
prisma dev ls

# Stop instance
prisma dev stop myproject

# Remove instance data
prisma dev rm myproject
```

### Database Operations

```bash
# Pull schema from existing database
prisma db pull

# Push schema to database (no migrations)
prisma db push

# Seed database
prisma db seed

# Execute raw SQL
prisma db execute --file ./script.sql
```

### Migrations (Development)

```bash
# Create and apply migration
prisma migrate dev

# Create migration with name
prisma migrate dev --name add_users_table

# Create migration without applying
prisma migrate dev --create-only

# Reset database and apply all migrations
prisma migrate reset
```

### Migrations (Production)

```bash
# Apply pending migrations (CI/CD)
prisma migrate deploy

# Check migration status
prisma migrate status

# Compare schemas and generate diff
prisma migrate diff --from-config-datasource --to-schema schema.prisma --script
```

### Utility Commands

```bash
# Open Prisma Studio (database GUI)
prisma studio

# Start Prisma's MCP server for AI tools
prisma mcp

# Show version info
prisma version
prisma -v

# Debug information
prisma debug

# Validate schema
prisma validate

# Format schema
prisma format
```

## Current Prisma CLI Setup

### New Configuration File

Use `prisma.config.ts` for CLI configuration:

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config'
import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config'

export default defineConfig({
  schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',
  migrations: {
    path: 'prisma/migrations',
    seed: 'tsx prisma/seed.ts',
  },
  datasource: {
    url: env('DATABASE_URL'),
  },
})
```

### Current Command Behavior

- Run `prisma generate` explicitly after `migrate dev`, `db push`, or other schema syncs when you need fresh client output
- Run `prisma db seed` explicitly after `migrate dev` or `migrate reset` when you need seed data
- Use `prisma db execute --file ...` for raw SQL scripts

### Environment Variables

Load environment variables explicitly in `prisma.config.ts`, commonly with `dotenv`:

```typescript
// prisma.config.ts
import 'dotenv/config'
```

## Rule Files

See individual rule files for detailed command documentation:

```
references/init.md           - Project initialization
references/generate.md       - Client generation
references/dev.md            - Local development database
references/db-pull.md        - Database introspection
references/db-push.md        - Schema push
references/db-seed.md        - Database seeding
references/db-execute.md     - Raw SQL execution
references/migrate-dev.md    - Development migrations
references/migrate-deploy.md - Production migrations
references/migrate-reset.md  - Database reset
references/migrate-status.md - Migration status
references/migrate-resolve.md - Migration resolution
references/migrate-diff.md   - Schema diffing
references/studio.md         - Database GUI
references/mcp.md            - Prisma MCP server
references/validate.md       - Schema validation
references/format.md         - Schema formatting
references/debug.md          - Debug info
```

## How to Use

Use the command categories above for navigation, then open the specific command reference file you need.