---
title: Connect Astro to Postgres on Neon
subtitle: Learn how to make server-side queries to Postgres from .astro files or API
  routes.
enableTableOfContents: true
updatedOn: '2026-02-04T22:32:55.752Z'
---

<CopyPrompt src="/prompts/astro-serverless-prompt.md" 
description="Pre-built prompt for connecting Astro to Neon using the Neon serverless driver"/>

Astro builds fast content sites, powerful web applications, dynamic server APIs, and everything in-between. This guide describes how to create a Neon Postgres database and access it from an Astro site or application.

To create a Neon project and access it from an Astro site or application:

<Steps>

## Create a Neon project

If you do not have one already, create a Neon project. Save your connection details including your password. They are required when defining connection settings.

1. Navigate to the [Projects](https://console.neon.tech/app/projects) page in the Neon Console.
2. Click **New Project**.
3. Specify your project settings and click **Create Project**.

## Create an Astro project and add dependencies

1. Create an Astro project if you do not have one. For instructions, see [Getting Started](https://docs.astro.build/en/getting-started/), in the Astro documentation.

2. Add project dependencies using one of the following commands:

   <CodeTabs reverse={true} labels={["node-postgres", "postgres.js", "Neon serverless driver"]}>

   ```shell
   npm install pg
   ```

   ```shell
   npm install postgres
   ```

   ```shell
   npm install @neondatabase/serverless
   ```

   </CodeTabs>

## Enable on-demand rendering

Astro requires an adapter to query databases at request time. Run:

```shell
npx astro add node
```

This enables [on-demand rendering](https://docs.astro.build/en/guides/on-demand-rendering/) (also known as server-side rendering or SSR) so your pages can fetch fresh data on each request.

<Admonition type="note">
This adapter is required for real-time database queries in production. Without it, your database is queried only once at build time, and production will serve static data. Development mode (`npm run dev`) rebuilds pages automatically and does not require the adapter.
</Admonition>

## Store your Neon credentials

Add a `.env` file to your project directory and add your Neon connection string to it. You can find the connection string for your database by clicking the **Connect** button on your **Project Dashboard** to open the **Connect to your database** modal. For more information, see [Connect from any application](/docs/connect/connect-from-any-app).

```shell shouldWrap
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://<user>:<password>@<endpoint_hostname>.neon.tech:<port>/<dbname>?sslmode=require&channel_binding=require"
```

## Create a database utility

Create a reusable database client that you can import throughout your application. This approach centralizes your database configuration and follows best practices for code organization.

Create a new file at `src/lib/neon.ts` (or `src/lib/neon.js`) with the following code:

<CodeTabs reverse={true} labels={["node-postgres", "postgres.js", "Neon serverless driver"]}>

```typescript
import { Pool } from 'pg';

export const pool = new Pool({
  connectionString: import.meta.env.DATABASE_URL,
  ssl: true
});
```

```typescript
import postgres from 'postgres';

export const sql = postgres(import.meta.env.DATABASE_URL, { ssl: 'require' });
```

```typescript
import { neon } from '@neondatabase/serverless';

export const sql = neon(import.meta.env.DATABASE_URL);
```

</CodeTabs>

## Configure the Postgres client

There are multiple ways to make server side requests with Astro. See below for two of those options: **Page Components (.astro files)** and **Server Endpoints (API Routes)**.

### Page Components (.astro files)

In your `.astro` page components (e.g., `src/pages/index.astro`), you can query the database in the frontmatter section (between the `---` fences). Import the database client from your utility file:

<CodeTabs reverse={true} labels={["node-postgres", "postgres.js", "Neon serverless driver"]}>

```astro
---
import { pool } from '../lib/neon';

const client = await pool.connect();

let data = null;

try {
  const response = await client.query('SELECT version()');
  data = response.rows[0].version;
} finally {
  client.release();
}
---

{data}
```

```astro
---
import { sql } from '../lib/neon';

const response = await sql`SELECT version()`;
const data = response[0].version;
---

{data}
```

```astro
---
import { sql } from '../lib/neon';

const response = await sql`SELECT version()`;
const data = response[0].version;
---

{data}
```

</CodeTabs>

<Admonition type="note">
You can also initialize the database connection directly in each `.astro` file, but using a shared utility file is recommended for maintainability and code organization.
</Admonition>

#### Run the app

When you run `npm run dev` you can expect to see something like the following when you visit `localhost:4321`:

```shell shouldWrap
PostgreSQL 17.7 on aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu, compiled by gcc (Debian 12.2.0-14+deb12u1) 12.2.0, 64-bit
```

### Server Endpoints (API Routes)

In your server endpoints (API Routes) in Astro application, import the database client from your utility file:

<CodeTabs reverse={true} labels={["node-postgres", "postgres.js", "Neon serverless driver"]}>

```javascript
// File: src/pages/api/index.ts

import { pool } from '../../lib/neon';

export async function GET() {
  const client = await pool.connect();
  let data = {};
  try {
    const { rows } = await client.query('SELECT version()');
    data = rows[0];
  } finally {
    client.release();
  }
  return new Response(JSON.stringify(data), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });
}
```

```javascript
// File: src/pages/api/index.ts

import { sql } from '../../lib/neon';

export async function GET() {
  const response = await sql`SELECT version()`;
  return new Response(JSON.stringify(response[0]), {
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  });
}
```

```javascript
// File: src/pages/api/index.ts

import { sql } from '../../lib/neon';

export async function GET() {
  const response = await sql`SELECT version()`;
  return new Response(JSON.stringify(response[0]), {
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  });
}
```

</CodeTabs>

#### Run the app

When you run `npm run dev` you can expect to see something like the following when you visit the `localhost:4321/api` route:

```shell shouldWrap
{ version: 'PostgreSQL 17.7 on aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu, compiled by gcc (Debian 12.2.0-14+deb12u1) 12.2.0, 64-bit' }
```

</Steps>

## Source code

You can find the source code for the applications described in this guide on GitHub.

<DetailIconCards>

<a href="https://github.com/neondatabase/examples/tree/main/with-astro" description="Get started with Astro and Neon" icon="github">Get started with Astro and Neon</a>

<a href="https://github.com/neondatabase/examples/tree/main/with-astro-api-routes" description="Get started with Astro API Routes and Neon" icon="github">Get started with Astro API Routes and Neon</a>

</DetailIconCards>

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