Open your app's database

3 minute read · SQL Client

Open the data behind the app you are building. If Small Stories saves articles, Database lets you see those stored titles rather than relying only on the page.

• Choose the connection type
• Confirm you reached the right database
• Reuse existing configuration carefully
• Keep a useful set of connections

Choose the connection type#

Open Database and create a saved connection for the database your app actually uses. MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL require the intended host, port, account and database; SQLite uses a selected local database file. Configure TLS according to the server. If the database is only reachable through a server, choose the saved SSH host and tunnel settings.

Use a development database for the first check. A name such as Small Stories local helps distinguish it from staging. Saved credentials are private; do not paste the password into a chat to ask the agent to connect. A saved connection profile can contain several database definitions. Give each one a recognizable environment and database name so you select the right destination.

Confirm you reached the right database#

1. Connect and inspect the database/schema list.
2. Select the schema used by the app, then its article table.
3. Read a few known fictional rows and compare them with Preview.
4. Disconnect and reconnect to verify the saved settings.
5. If useful, ask an agent to discover the saved connection by its name/ID without returning credentials.

An empty table list may mean the wrong schema or an account without metadata privileges, not a failed connection. A timeout may indicate host, port, tunnel or network reachability; authentication errors instead require checking the account and its permissions.

Reuse existing configuration carefully#

Import-from-host discovery can inspect an app's database configuration through an authorized SSH host. Keep discovered secrets inside the saved-credential flow and verify the intended environment. Opening another query tab is not another saved connection profile. Read queries and edits before writing data, and SSH tunnels when the database is private.

Keep a useful set of connections#

Name the profile for both its purpose and environment, such as “Article app · local”. MySQL and MariaDB use their database driver; PostgreSQL exposes its databases and schemas; SQLite points to a file on this computer. Host/port credentials do not apply to a SQLite file. For a server that needs TLS or an SSH tunnel, configure those options before connecting rather than exposing the database publicly.

After connecting, expand a database/schema and select a table. Open Content to inspect rows and Structure for columns and keys. Separate query sessions let you keep a diagnostic query open while checking a different table. Use saved names, tags, colors and search to keep local and remote targets distinguishable.

For agent help, ask: “Inspect the local article database and explain its tables. Do not change data.” The agent can discover the saved connection without printing its password. You still need to authorize writes and choose what query output may be shared with a provider. Continue with queries and row editing.

Related guides: browse and query data, project resources.