psql Command Examples

PostgreSQL command-line client. More information: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-psql.html.

• Connect to the database. By default, it connects to the local socket using port 5432 with the currently logged in user:

psql {{database}}

• Connect to the database on given server host running on given port with given username, without a password prompt:

psql {{[-h|--host]}} {{host}} {{[-p|--port]}} {{port}} {{[-U|--username]}} {{username}} {{database}}

• Connect to the database; user will be prompted for password:

psql {{[-h|--host]}} {{host}} {{[-p|--port]}} {{port}} {{[-U|--username]}} {{username}} {{[-W|--password]}} {{database}}

• Execute a single SQL query or PostgreSQL command on the given database (useful in shell scripts):

psql {{[-c|--command]}} '{{query}}' {{database}}

• Execute commands from a file on the given database:

psql {{database}} {{[-f|--file]}} {{file.sql}}