How do I create a PostgreSQL database in Plesk and connect it to my application?

Short answer: you create a PostgreSQL database in Plesk the same way as a MySQL database: Websites & Domains → Databases → Add Database, type PostgreSQL, a database name, and a user with a password. An application on the same server connects to the host localhost (or 127.0.0.1) on port 5432. The most convenient way to pass this to it is as a single address, postgres://użytkownik:hasło@127.0.0.1:5432/baza, in an environment variable. The database is included in the subscription backup along with the site's files.

PostgreSQL or MariaDB/MySQL?

WordPress, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop need MySQL/MariaDB — for them, the choice is simple. PostgreSQL is usually chosen for custom applications:

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Creating a database and user in Plesk

1. Open Websites & Domains and select Databases next to the domain.
2. Click Add Database.
3. Enter a database name (e.g. app_prod) and choose PostgreSQL as the database server.
4. Create a database user: a name, a strong password (ideally generated by the panel).
5. Save. The database and user are ready immediately.

For a staging environment, create a separate database and a separate user (e.g. app_staging) — don't use the production database for testing.

Host, port, and credentials

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The connection string in standard format:

postgres://app_user:TWOJE_HASLO@127.0.0.1:5432/app_prod

If the password contains special characters (@, :, /), encode them in the address (e.g. @ → %40). Store the address in the application's environment variable, e.g. DATABASE_URL, not in your code.

You can test the connection from the SSH console:

PGPASSWORD='TWOJE_HASLO' psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U app_user -d app_prod -c 'select version();'

Connecting from a Node.js application

The pg library, written in pure JavaScript, needs no compilation:

// npm install pg
const { Pool } = require('pg');

const pool = new Pool({
  connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
  max: 5,                       // na hostingu wystarczy kilka połączeń
});

async function main() {
  const { rows } = await pool.query('select now() as teraz');
  console.log(rows[0].teraz);
}

main().finally(() => pool.end());

We describe how to run the application itself in the panel in our guide Node.js in Plesk.

Connecting from a Ruby application

In Ruby, the standard is the pg gem (it requires compilation during installation):

# Gemfile: gem "pg"
require "pg"

conn = PG.connect(ENV.fetch("DATABASE_URL"))
puts conn.exec("select now() as teraz").first["teraz"]
conn.close

In Ruby on Rails, a DATABASE_URL in the environment variables and the postgresql adapter in config/database.yml are all you need. We cover native gems and their limitations on hosting in our guide Ruby in Plesk.

Backup and restore

• The subscription backup in Plesk's Backup Manager includes PostgreSQL databases along with the site's files. Restoring returns the database to its state at the time the backup was taken — we verified this on our test account.
• Your own dump before a major change (schema migration, data import) — take it from the console:

PGPASSWORD='TWOJE_HASLO' pg_dump -h 127.0.0.1 -U app_user -Fc app_prod > app_prod-$(date +%F).dump
# odtworzenie do tej samej lub pustej bazy:
PGPASSWORD='TWOJE_HASLO' pg_restore -h 127.0.0.1 -U app_user -d app_prod --clean --if-exists app_prod-2026-09-17.dump

Keep dumps outside the site's public directory and delete old ones — they're a full copy of your data.

Security and external access

• Isolation: a database user only has access to their own databases; trying to connect to someone else's database fails with a permissions error.
• Internet access: the PostgreSQL server only accepts local connections. From your own computer, connect through an SSH tunnel if your package includes SSH access:

ssh -L 15432:127.0.0.1:5432 uzytkownik@twojafirma.pl
# potem lokalnie: psql -h 127.0.0.1 -p 15432 -U app_user -d app_prod

• Passwords: a separate user for each application, generated passwords, kept in environment variables.
• Permissions: the application doesn't need superuser rights — permissions on its own database are enough.

Common problems

• "password authentication failed" — wrong password, or the user was created for a different database.
• "permission denied for database" — the user isn't assigned to this database; add them to it in the panel.
• "connection refused" — you're connecting from outside, or using the wrong port; from an application on the server, use 127.0.0.1:5432.
• Special characters in the password break the address — encode them in the connection string, or pass the parameters separately.
• "too many connections" — reduce the connection pool in your application (e.g. max: 5).

FAQ

Can I have both MySQL and PostgreSQL databases in one subscription?

Yes. You choose the type separately for each database; the database limit in your package covers both types.

Can I connect to the database from my own computer?

Not directly — the server only accepts local connections. Use an SSH tunnel, or work on a local copy of the database instead.

Is a PostgreSQL database included in the backup?

Yes, the subscription backup in Plesk includes a dump of the PostgreSQL database and lets you restore it.

Which PostgreSQL version should I choose?

On shared hosting, the server version is set by the administrator. Check it with the query select version(); and match your application's libraries to it.

Technical verification: 17 September 2026, Plesk Obsidian 18.0.80, PostgreSQL 13.23, Plesk subscription backup and restore. Related guides: Node.js applications in Plesk, Ruby applications in Plesk, Docker and Docker Compose in Plesk. Packages: NVMe hosting (Business) and NVMe Performance and Pro.