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The prisma init command creates the necessary files to start using Prisma ORM in your project.

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Usage

npx prisma init

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What it creates

The init command creates:
  1. prisma/schema.prisma - Prisma schema file with datasource and generator configuration
  2. prisma.config.ts - Prisma configuration file for connection and settings
  3. .env (if datasource requires it) - Environment file for database credentials

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Options

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--url
string
Database connection URL to use instead of prompting
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--datasource-provider
string
Database provider to use: postgresql, mysql, sqlite, sqlserver, mongodb, cockroachdb
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--generator-provider
string
Generator provider to use (default: prisma-client)
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--output
string
Custom output directory for generated Prisma Client (default: ../generated/prisma)
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--with-model
boolean
Include a sample User model in the schema
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--db
boolean
Create a Prisma Postgres database (interactive flow)
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--region
string
Region for Prisma Postgres database
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--name
string
Name for Prisma Postgres database
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--non-interactive
boolean
Run in non-interactive mode using provided flags
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--preview-feature
string[]
Enable preview features (can be specified multiple times)

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Examples

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Basic initialization

Create a new Prisma project with interactive prompts: 
npx prisma init

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Initialize with specific database

Initialize with PostgreSQL: 
npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql
Initialize with SQLite: 
npx prisma init --datasource-provider sqlite

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Initialize with connection URL

Skip the provider selection and use a specific database URL: 
npx prisma init --url "postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb"

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Initialize with sample model

Create the project with a sample User model: 
npx prisma init --datasource-provider postgresql --with-model

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Non-interactive initialization

Initialize without prompts (useful for CI/CD): 
npx prisma init \
  --datasource-provider postgresql \
  --generator-provider prisma-client \
  --output ../generated/prisma \
  --non-interactive

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Initialize with Prisma Postgres

Create a new Prisma Postgres database: 
npx prisma init --db
This will:
  1. Prompt you to log in to Prisma
  2. Create a new database in your account
  3. Configure your project with the connection string
You can also specify database details: 
npx prisma init --db --name my-app-db --region us-east-1

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Generated schema file

The default schema file created by init: 
// This is your Prisma schema file,
// learn more about it in the docs: https://pris.ly/d/prisma-schema

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../generated/prisma"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}
With --with-model flag: 
generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../generated/prisma"
}

datasource db {
  provider = "postgresql"
}

model User {
  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  email String  @unique
  name  String?
}

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Generated config file

The prisma.config.ts file: 
import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config'

export default defineConfig({
  datasource: {
    url: env('DATABASE_URL'),
  },
})

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Workflow

After running init, the typical workflow is:
1

Set up database connection

Update prisma.config.ts with your database URL or set the DATABASE_URL environment variable.
2

Define your data model

Edit prisma/schema.prisma to define your models.
3

Create migrations

Run npx prisma migrate dev to create and apply migrations.
4

Generate Prisma Client

Run npx prisma generate to generate the type-safe client.

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Supported providers

The --datasource-provider flag accepts:
  • postgresql - PostgreSQL (9.6+)
  • mysql - MySQL (5.7+) and MariaDB (10.2+)
  • sqlite - SQLite (3.x)
  • sqlserver - Microsoft SQL Server (2017+)
  • mongodb - MongoDB (4.2+)
  • cockroachdb - CockroachDB (21.2.4+)

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Error handling

The init command will not overwrite existing files. If prisma/schema.prisma or prisma.config.ts already exist, you’ll need to manually integrate the changes.

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Next steps

Define your schema

Learn about Prisma Schema Language

Run migrations

Create your first migration

Generate Client

Generate your type-safe database client

Prisma Config

Configure your Prisma project