You can import and export a PostgreSQL database in Kinsta’s Database Hosting using a tool like TablePlus or the command line interface (CLI). For more details on using a database client with your PostgreSQL database, see our guide on connecting and managing your Kinsta database with TablePlus.
The installation of the database server and commands vary for each database type. This article is specific to PostgreSQL. For other database types, see:
- Import and Export a MySQL Database Using the Command Line
- Import and Export a MariaDB Database Using the Command Line
- Export a Redis Database Using the Command Line
Install PostgreSQL
If you do not yet have PostgreSQL installed on your local machine, you’ll need to install it to connect to your database. Depending on your operating system, you can install PostgreSQL in the following ways.
Windows
Download and install the GUI installer or binaries for the Interactive installer by EDB.
MacOS
With Homebrew, replace XX in the following command with the version of PostgreSQL you want to install:
brew install postgresql@XX
Debian-based Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.)
Use the PostgreSQL APT repository and install the postgresql-client
.
RedHat-based Linux (RedHat Fedora, CentOS, etc.)
Use the PostgreSQL Yum repository and install the postgresql-client
.
Kinsta Database Credentials
You can find your database credentials under External connections on the database Info page.
Import a PostgreSQL Database
Use the following command to export the database, replacing EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME, USERNAME, PORT, and DATABASE_NAME with the information from your database’s External connections. Replace export.sql with the path and name of the database you want to import:
psql -h EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME -U USERNAME -p PORT -d DATABASE_NAME < export.sql
When prompted, enter the database password.
No output will be produced unless there are errors, which will be printed to the command line. To verify a successful import, you can use dt or a similar command to review the data in your database.
Export a PostgreSQL Database
Use the following command to export the database, replacing EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME, USERNAME, PORT, and DATABASE_NAME with the information from your database’s External connections. Replace export.sql with the path and file name of the database you want to export:
pg_dump -h EXTERNAL_HOSTNAME -U USERNAME -p PORT -d DATABASE_NAME > export.sql
When prompted, enter the database password.
Once the export is complete, your database file (e.g. export.sql) will be available at the path you specified in the pg_dump
command. You can open a .sql file with a plain text editor (e.g. TextEdit, Notepad++, Sublime Text, etc.) or a database tool like TablePlus to review the exported data.
Related Documentation
- Connect and Manage Your Kinsta Database With TablePlus
- External Connections
- Add a Database
- Connect to and Manage a Kinsta Database