Using Drizzle Studio with Payload CMS

This guide explains how to set up and use Drizzle Studio to visualize and manage your Payload CMS PostgreSQL database.

Prerequisites

• A Payload CMS project using PostgreSQL
• Node.js and pnpm installed
• PostgreSQL database running locally or remotely

Setup Steps

1. Create a new Payload CMS project:

   npx create-payload-app

   This will generate a project configured with PostgreSQL. The database connection is managed through the DATABASE_URI environment variable.

2. Generate the Drizzle schema:

   pnpm payload generate:db-schema

   This command generates a Drizzle schema file at src/payload-generated-schema.ts, which we'll use to connect Drizzle Studio to your database.

3. Install Drizzle Kit as a development dependency:

   pnpm add -D [email protected]

   Note: It's recommended to use the same version as specified in Payload's package.json to ensure compatibility.

4. Create a drizzle.config.ts file in your project root:

   import { defineConfig } from "drizzle-kit";
   
   export default defineConfig({
     dialect: "postgresql",
     dbCredentials: {
       url: process.env.DATABASE_URI!
     },
     schema: "./src/payload-generated-schema.ts"
   });

   This configuration file tells Drizzle Studio how to connect to your database and where to find the schema.

5. Launch Drizzle Studio:

   pnpm drizzle-kit studio --verbose

   This will start the Drizzle Studio interface on a local port (usually https://local.drizzle.studio/).

Result

Once completed, you'll have access to the Drizzle Studio interface where you can:

• View your database schema
• Browse and edit table data
• Execute custom SQL queries
• Monitor database changes

Troubleshooting

• Make sure your DATABASE_URI environment variable is properly set
• Verify that your PostgreSQL database is running and accessible
• Check that the schema file was generated correctly at src/payload-generated-schema.ts

Additional Resources

• Payload CMS PostgreSQL Documentation
• Drizzle Documentation
• Drizzle Studio Documentation

License

This guide is MIT licensed. Feel free to use it in your projects.