Connecting to PostgreSQL

Every database exposes two connection URLs. Use the one that matches where you’re connecting from.

Internal vs external

URL	When to use it
Internal	From other Runsite services in the same project. Traffic never leaves the private network: lowest latency, no public exposure.
External	From your laptop, third-party tools, or anything running outside Runsite. Encrypted with TLS.

Both are standard PostgreSQL connection strings. You’ll find them on the database’s Overview tab. Copy them directly rather than constructing them by hand.

A real internal URL looks like:

postgresql://test_user:GJRf~r2sTma4umuN~vE6oGWz@dpg-ximnyfiir4kw742sc8cv-rw:5432/test

A real external URL looks like:

postgresql://test_user:GJRf~r2sTma4umuN~vE6oGWz@dpg-ximnyfiir4kw742sc8cv.eu-central-postgres.runsite.app/test

Notice:

• The internal host (dpg-...-rw) is short and only resolves inside Runsite. The -rw part points to the read-write primary.
• The external host adds the region and base domain (eu-central-postgres.runsite.app).
• The internal URL keeps the explicit :5432. The external URL omits it, so clients use the standard Postgres port by default.
• Username and database name come from what you set when creating the database.

From a Runsite Web Service

Inside another Runsite service in the same project, use the internal URL. Add it as an environment variable in the service’s Environment tab:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://test_user:GJRf~r2sTma4umuN~vE6oGWz@dpg-ximnyfiir4kw742sc8cv-rw:5432/test

Your app reads DATABASE_URL like any other Postgres host. No special client needed.

From your laptop

Use the external URL with the psql CLI:

psql "postgresql://test_user:GJRf~r2sTma4umuN~vE6oGWz@dpg-ximnyfiir4kw742sc8cv.eu-central-postgres.runsite.app/test"

Or paste it into your favourite client (DBeaver, TablePlus, DataGrip, pgAdmin); they all accept this URL format.

Credentials

The dashboard masks the password in both URLs. Click the eye icon on the Overview tab to reveal it.

The password can’t be changed from the dashboard. If it leaks, create a new database and move the data across.

Connection failing? See Fix PostgreSQL connection errors.