Database

Turning on Postgres

Add to embra.toml:

[deploy]
database = true

On the first build with this line, Embra sets up a dedicated Postgres for the environment, then deploys the app. Turning it on from the start or after the first deploy both work.

Item	Detail
Version	PostgreSQL 18
Connection string	Env var DATABASE_URL. Don’t set it yourself
Network	Only the app in the same environment can connect; not exposed to the internet
App permissions	Only read/write data (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE), no creating or altering tables. The schema only changes through migrations
Size, RAM	Follow your plan
Extensions	Not supported yet (CREATE EXTENSION)

Note

Removing database = true from embra.toml later does not detach or delete the existing database.

Backups

Every environment with Postgres is backed up automatically; nothing to turn on.

Item	Detail
Continuous	WAL records every change, pushed to backup at least every minute
Full backup	Every 7 days, the 2 latest kept. After each one, Embra test-restores it
Location	On the server, on a separate disk from the database, plus a copy on Cloudfly object storage in Hanoi (synced about every minute)
Restore	To a point in time, previewed first, then approved by an Owner or Admin. Not to a moment before a migration that has already run

Restore and export details: Rollback and restoring backups.

See also

• Database and migrations
• Running migrations safely