PlanetScale CLI Skills
Comprehensive pscale command reference and workflows for managing PlanetScale databases via terminal.
Overview
The PlanetScale CLI brings database branches, deploy requests, and schema migrations to your fingertips. This skill provides command references, automation scripts, and decision trees for all pscale operations.
Configuration and credential safety
- Directory-local
.pscale.ymlfiles are project configuration, not trusted credential configuration. The CLI accepts onlyorg,database, andbranchfrom them and warns while ignoring keys such as API endpoints or tokens. - Keep API URLs and credentials in the user config, environment/secret manager, or explicit approved flags. Never commit them to a repository-local config.
pscale apifollows cross-host redirects without forwarding authentication or caller-supplied headers. Even with this protection, pass secret-bearing headers only to an explicitly verified API host and do not expose them in logs.- When
--format jsonis active, raw API error codes are preserved inissues[0].codeinstead of being collapsed toCOMMAND_FAILED. Branch automation should branch on that exact nested code when present. schema_mutation_blockedandschema_snapshot_not_readyresponses usestatus: "action_required"and one CLI-generatednext_stepsinstruction. Treat them as retryable waits, not hard failures or permission to retry blindly: wait for the active vtctld mutation or deploy to finish, or for the branch schema snapshot to become ready, then re-read state before retrying.- A Postgres
resize in progresserror also yieldsstatus: "action_required"with wait/status guidance. Inspectpscale branch resize status, wait for the existing change to finish, and re-read the intended state before retrying; do not re-authenticate or cancel another operator's change as a shortcut. - Route MySQL/Vitess schema snapshot refresh/readiness to
pscale-branch:refresh-schemawaits forschema_readywith 2-second polling and a 2-minute readiness bound. Onschema_snapshot_not_ready, read back readiness before retrying the follow-up reader; preserve poll failures rather than treating every error as a snapshot timeout. - Route single-request
create/update --aggressive-cutovertopscale-deploy-request. It can kill blockers on the first cutover attempt and requires explicit approval plus read-back; database defaults and emergencyforce-cutoverare separate actions. - Route parameter update-requirement interpretation to
pscale-branchfor Postgres catalogs andpscale-nekifor configuration-profile, sidecar, and admin catalogs.REQUIRES UPDATEis a human boolean indicator; JSONrequires_updatepreserves a nullable string. Inspect non-null requirements before proposing writes; they do not authorize automatic maintenance or capacity changes. - Route Postgres branch extension enable/disable and Vitess VTGate parameter/update/change-rollout work to
pscale-branch. Route approved failed deploy-operation retries topscale-deploy-request; retry is not queue unblocking or revert. Keyspace storage size units and staff-managed maximum limits belong topscale-database.
Binary-native agent bootstrap
pscale --skillprints the current binary's installablepscale-cliskill file to stdout when no positional arguments follow it.pscale agent-guide --skillis equivalent.- Both forms still emit the raw Markdown skill when
--format jsonis present; redirect the output to an approved skills directory when a standalone binary-native guide is wanted. - Validate automated bootstrap output starts with
---\nname: pscale-cli; do not infer a valid skill document from exit status alone. - The binary-native guide is useful for first-party command discovery, but it does not replace this repository's specialized safety workflows, focused references, and helper scripts.
- Unrecognized root tokens and subcommands of non-runnable command groups fail with exit status 2 instead of printing help and exiting zero. Runnable groups such as
keyspace parameterscan interpret an unrecognized token as a positional argument and execute their default action, so automation must validate the expected JSON/resource shape as well as the exit code. - The top-level
pscale data-importsfamily is unavailable. Usepscale keyspace create-externalto attach an external MySQL source andpscale branch vtctl move-tablesfor table-movement workflows; treat an unknown-command error as a failed operation.
Sub-Skills
| Command | Skill | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| auth | pscale-auth |
Login, logout, service tokens, authentication management |
| branch/logs | pscale-branch |
Create, restore to a PostgreSQL recovery point, rename, protect, delete, promote, diff, list, and switchover branches; refresh MySQL schema snapshots and verify readiness; query PostgreSQL/Neki branch logs; inspect branch infra, manage Postgres size/replicas/parameters/maintenance/extensions, toggle Postgres extensions, run Postgres/Neki branch maintenance, resize Vitess VTGates and roll out VTGate parameter changes, manage live keyspace routing rules, Lookup Vindexes, and tablet throttling, manage query pattern reports, manage Vitess MoveTables workflows |
| deploy-request | pscale-deploy-request |
Create, review, inspect queues/operations, check storage, throttle, deploy, update auto-apply/auto-delete/per-request aggressive-cutover settings, retry failed operations after diagnosis, unblock failed deploy/revert queues, force cutover, and revert schema changes |
| database | pscale-database |
Create, list, show, update, delete, and dump databases; manage database-level and keyspace-level Vitess throttlers, keyspace VTTablet/MySQL parameters, rollout concurrency, disk-storage settings, internal/external keyspaces, aggressive-cutover defaults, PostgreSQL IP restrictions, and read-only regions |
| neki | pscale-neki |
Manage Neki data topology, shards, branch-wide change requests, config profiles and extension sets, routers, sidecars, admin config, profile maintenance, restore sizing overrides, target-specific inspection, and router/shard role access |
| maintenance | pscale-maintenance |
Inspect Vitess Enterprise maintenance schedules, pending versions, deadlines, and historical windows |
| sql | pscale-sql |
Run non-interactive SQL queries with JSON output and ephemeral credentials |
| metrics | pscale-metrics |
Query historical/current branch metrics and engine-aware grouped performance reports |
| insights | pscale-insights |
Analyze production query statistics, execution samples, query tags, error details, anomaly correlations, and schema recommendations |
| traffic-control | pscale-traffic-control |
Inventory and safely manage Postgres Traffic Control budgets and fingerprint/keyspace/tag rules |
| inspect | pscale-inspect |
Run point-in-time, read-only MySQL/Vitess, PostgreSQL, and Neki diagnostic checks against one connection target |
| import d1 | pscale-import-d1 |
Import Cloudflare D1 SQLite exports into PlanetScale Postgres |
| backup | pscale-backup |
Create, list, show, restore, and delete branch backups; manage scheduled backup policies |
| billing | pscale-billing |
Inspect invoices and manage organization payment methods with sensitive billing-data safeguards |
| audit-log | pscale-audit-log |
List audit events and export filtered authentication attempts |
| password | pscale-password |
Create, list, show, update, delete, and scope Vitess connection passwords to read-only regions; inspect and mutate Postgres/Neki roles, inherited-role pairings, and connection targets |
| pgbouncer | pscale-pgbouncer |
List, inspect, create, resize, cancel, and delete dedicated PostgreSQL PgBouncers |
| dedicated-read-replica | pscale-read-only-replica |
List, inspect, create, resize, configure, and delete dedicated PostgreSQL read replicas; recognize the deprecated read-only-replica compatibility name |
| webhook | pscale-webhook |
List, inspect, create, update, test, and delete database webhooks, including authorization headers |
| org | pscale-org |
List, show, switch, and update organizations; manage SSO, directory sync, email domains, members, and teams |
| service-token | pscale-service-token |
Create, show, and manage CI/CD service tokens |
Decision Trees
Should I use a branch or deploy request?
What's your goal?
├─ Experimenting with schema changes → Create branch (pscale-branch)
├─ Testing schema in isolation → Create branch (pscale-branch)
├─ Ready to deploy schema to production → Create deploy request (pscale-deploy-request)
└─ Reviewing schema changes before production → Review deploy request (pscale-deploy-request)
Service token vs password?
What's your use case?
├─ CI/CD pipeline → Service token (pscale-service-token)
├─ Local development → Password (pscale-password)
├─ Production application → Service token (rotatable, secure)
└─ One-off admin task → Password (temporary)
Direct promotion vs deploy request?
Production readiness?
├─ Immediate promotion (dangerous) → pscale branch promote (pscale-branch)
├─ Review + approval workflow → pscale deploy-request create (pscale-deploy-request)
└─ Safe production deployment → Always use deploy requests
Common Workflows
Schema Migration Workflow
Complete workflow from branch creation to production deployment:
# 1. Create development branch
pscale branch create <database> <branch-name>
# 2. Make schema changes (via shell, ORM, or direct SQL)
pscale shell <database> <branch-name>
# 3. View schema diff
pscale branch diff <database> <branch-name>
# 4. Create deploy request
pscale deploy-request create <database> <branch-name>
# 5. Review and deploy
pscale deploy-request deploy <database> <deploy-request-number>
# 6. Verify deployment
pscale deploy-request show <database> <deploy-request-number>
See scripts/ directory for automation.
Branch Development Workflow
# Create branch from main
pscale branch create <database> <feature-branch> --from main
# Work on schema changes
pscale shell <database> <feature-branch>
# Check diff before deploying
pscale branch diff <database> <feature-branch>
# Create deploy request when ready
pscale deploy-request create <database> <feature-branch>
CI/CD Integration
# Create service token for CI/CD
pscale service-token create --org <org>
# Use in CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, etc.)
export PLANETSCALE_SERVICE_TOKEN_ID=<token-id>
export PLANETSCALE_SERVICE_TOKEN=<token>
# Create and deploy via CI/CD after review/approval gates pass
pscale deploy-request create <database> <branch> --format json
pscale deploy-request deploy <database> <deploy-request-number>
Cloudflare D1 to PlanetScale Postgres import
# Lint and dry-run first; review the JSON migration ID and warnings
pscale import d1 lint --input ./d1-export.sql --format json
pscale import d1 start <database> <branch> --input ./d1-export.sql --dry-run --format json
# After explicit confirmation, run and verify the import
pscale import d1 start <database> <branch> --input ./d1-export.sql --migration-id <id> --format json
pscale import d1 verify <database> <branch> --migration-id <id> --input ./d1-export.sql --format json
Quick Reference
Most Common Commands
# Authentication
pscale auth login
pscale auth logout
# Branch management
pscale branch create <database> <branch> [--from <source-branch>]
pscale branch list <database>
pscale branch delete <database> <branch>
pscale branch parameters list <database> <branch> --format json
pscale branch resize status <database> <branch> --format json
pscale branch vtgate show <database> <branch> --format json
pscale branch update <database> <branch> --deletion-protected=true --format json
# Discover and use a Vitess read-only region
pscale keyspace read-only-regions <database> <branch> <keyspace> --format json
pscale keyspace read-only-regions add <database> <branch> <keyspace> <region> --cluster-size <size> --replicas <count>
pscale password create <database> <branch> <name> --read-only-region <region> --format json
# Deploy requests
pscale deploy-request create <database> <branch>
pscale deploy-request list <database>
pscale deploy-request storage-check <database> <number> --format json
pscale deploy-request operations <database> <number> --format json
pscale deploy-request deploy <database> <number>
# Dedicated PostgreSQL PgBouncers
pscale pgbouncer list <database> <branch> --format json
pscale pgbouncer show <database> <branch> <name> --format json
# Dedicated PostgreSQL read replicas
pscale dedicated-read-replica list <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json
pscale dedicated-read-replica show <database> <branch> <name> --org <org> --format json
# Database operations
pscale database create <database> --org <org>
pscale database list
pscale database show <database> --format json
pscale database ip-restriction list <database> --format json
pscale database throttler show <database> --org <org> --format json
pscale database aggressive-cutover show <database> --org <org> --format json
pscale keyspace settings <database> <branch> <keyspace> --org <org> --format json
pscale keyspace parameters list <database> <branch> <keyspace> --org <org> --format json
pscale shell <database> <branch>
pscale logs <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json
# Database webhooks
# Webhook resource JSON may include the signing secret; redact before capture.
set -o pipefail
pscale webhook list <database> --org <org> --format json |
jq 'map(del(.secret))'
# Use `show` only when intentionally retrieving the secret; otherwise use the redacted sub-skill workflow.
# Maintenance schedules and windows (Vitess Enterprise)
pscale maintenance list <database> --org <org> --format json
pscale maintenance windows <database> <schedule-id> --org <org> --format json
# Backup policies and authentication-attempt exports
pscale backup policy list <database> --format json
pscale audit-log auth-attempts download --org <org> --since 24h --outcome deny
# Non-interactive read query for agents/scripts
pscale sql <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json --query "SELECT 1"
# Point-in-time diagnostics, branch metrics, and query-fingerprint analysis
pscale inspect all <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json
# Neki: pin one shard on the primary path by default
pscale inspect all <database> <branch> --org <org> --shard <shard-id> --format json
# Add --router <router> and/or --replica only for that explicit target path
pscale metrics report <database> <branch> --org <org> --period 1d --format json
pscale metrics show <database> <branch> --org <org> --metric queries --metric latency_p99 --period 1h --format json
pscale insights queries <database> <branch> --org <org> --sort p99Latency --period 1h --format json
pscale insights queries samples <database> <branch> <fingerprint> --org <org> --keyspace <keyspace> --format json
pscale insights tags summaries <database> <branch> --org <org> --tags app --sort totalTime --format json
pscale insights errors show <database> <branch> <full-error-fingerprint> --org <org> --format json
pscale insights anomalies show <database> <branch> <anomaly-id> --org <org> --format json
pscale insights recommendations <database> --org <org> --format json
pscale insights recommendations show <database> <number> --org <org> --format json
pscale insights queries show <database> <branch> <query-id> --org <org> --format json
pscale insights queries summary <database> <branch> <fingerprint> --org <org> --keyspace <keyspace> --format json
# Postgres Traffic Control inventory
pscale traffic-control budget list <database> <branch> --org <org> --format json
# Organization billing inspection
pscale billing invoice list --org <org> --page 1 --per-page 25 --format json
pscale billing payment-method show --org <org> --format json
# Cloudflare D1 import dry-run
pscale import d1 start <database> <branch> --input ./d1-export.sql --dry-run --format json
Related Skills
- drizzle-kit - ORM schema management and migrations
- gitlab-cli-skills - GitLab MR workflow integration
- github - GitHub PR and CI/CD integration
Automation Scripts
See scripts/ directory for token-efficient automation:
create-branch-for-mr.sh- Create PlanetScale branch matching your MR/PR branch namedeploy-schema-change.sh- Complete schema migration workflowsync-branch-with-main.sh- Create a replacement branch from main/base for conflict resolution
Scripts execute without loading into context (~90% token savings).
Resources
- Official docs: https://planetscale.com/docs/reference/planetscale-cli
- GitHub: https://github.com/planetscale/cli
- Community: https://github.com/planetscale/discussion
