Connect to your first database
Add a PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite connection in under a minute.
For: everyone. Estimated time: 1 to 3 minutes depending on your database.
The fastest way to use QueryDeck is to point it at a database and start querying. This page walks through the connection editor end to end.
If you have a project on disk with an ORM (Prisma, Drizzle, TypeORM, Django, Rails, Sequelize, Knex), skip this page and use qdeck . instead. It reads your config and connects automatically.
Open the connection editor
On first launch, QueryDeck opens an empty sidebar with an "Add Connection" button at the top. Click it.
If you already have connections, the same editor is reachable from:
- The
+button at the top of the sidebar Filemenu →New Connection- Command Palette (
Cmd+K) → type "new connection"
Pick an engine
QueryDeck supports three engines today:
| Engine | Use for |
|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | Supabase, Neon, Railway, Render, AWS RDS, DigitalOcean, self-hosted Postgres |
| MySQL / MariaDB | WordPress, PlanetScale, MariaDB, legacy MySQL |
| SQLite | Local files, embedded databases, mobile app data |
Each engine has its own page with provider-specific notes:
Fill in the connection
You have two ways to enter your credentials.
Option A — paste a connection string
If your hosting provider gives you a URI like postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db, paste it into the "Connection String" field. QueryDeck parses it and fills the individual fields for you. This is the recommended path for Supabase, Neon, Railway, and Render.
Option B — fill the fields one by one
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Name | "Production", "Staging", "Local dev" — your own label |
| Host | db.example.com or localhost |
| Port | 5432 (Postgres), 3306 (MySQL) — defaults are pre-filled |
| User | postgres, root, your DB username |
| Password | Your DB password, stored in macOS Keychain |
| Database | The database name on the server |
For SQLite, the only field is File — pick a .sqlite or .db file with the picker.
Optional: SSL and SSH tunnel
If your provider requires SSL (Supabase, Neon, AWS RDS, most managed Postgres), set the SSL mode at the bottom of the editor. require works for almost every cloud provider. See SSL/TLS modes for details.
If your database is behind a bastion host, enable the SSH tunnel toggle and add your bastion credentials. See SSH tunnels.
Test the connection
Click Test Connection before saving. QueryDeck attempts the same connection your queries will use, including SSL and SSH tunnels. You get one of two results:
- A green checkmark with the server version. Save the connection.
- A red error with the cause. Fix the field it points to and test again.
Common errors and fixes are listed in Connection troubleshooting.
Save and connect
Click Save. The connection appears in the sidebar. Click it to connect. The first query is ready in the editor.