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Connecting to Your Database

Once your database is running, you can retrieve connection details from the database detail page.

Viewing Connection Information​

  1. Navigate to Databases in the sidebar
  2. Click on your database name
  3. The connection details are displayed in the Connection Information card

Connection Details​

Each database provides the following connection information:

FieldDescription
Connection StringFull URI for connecting to your database
HostDatabase hostname
PortDatabase port number
UsernameDatabase user
PasswordDatabase password
DatabaseDatabase name

Use the copy button next to each field to copy values to your clipboard.

Connection String Formats​

PostgreSQL​

postgresql://username:password@host:5432/database

Example:

postgresql://postgres:abc123@mydb.db.hostless.cloud:5432/mydb

MySQL​

mysql://username:password@host:3306/database

Example:

mysql://mysql:abc123@mydb.db.hostless.cloud:3306/mydb

MongoDB​

mongodb://username:password@host:27017/database

Example:

mongodb://root:abc123@mydb.db.hostless.cloud:27017/mydb

Using Connection Strings in Your App​

The recommended approach is to store the connection string in an environment variable. If you linked your database to an app during creation, this is done automatically.

Manual Configuration​

  1. Navigate to your app's Environment Variables settings
  2. Add a new variable (e.g., DATABASE_URL)
  3. Paste your connection string as the value
  4. Save and redeploy your app

Framework Examples​

Node.js (pg)

const { Pool } = require('pg');
const pool = new Pool({
  connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
});

Python (psycopg2)

import os
import psycopg2

conn = psycopg2.connect(os.environ['DATABASE_URL'])

Django

import dj_database_url

DATABASES = {
    'default': dj_database_url.config(default=os.environ['DATABASE_URL'])
}

TLS/SSL​

All Hostless databases have TLS encryption enabled by default. Your connections are automatically secured without additional configuration.

Most database drivers will automatically use TLS when connecting to Hostless databases. If you need to explicitly enable SSL, refer to your driver's documentation.

Connection Pooling (PostgreSQL)​

PostgreSQL databases include PgBouncer, a connection pooler that efficiently manages database connections. This is transparent to your application - simply connect using the provided connection string.

Benefits of connection pooling:

  • Reduced connection overhead
  • Better handling of many concurrent connections
  • Improved performance for serverless workloads

Troubleshooting​

Connection Refused​

  • Verify your database status is RUNNING
  • Check that you're using the correct host and port
  • Ensure your connection string is properly URL-encoded

Authentication Failed​

  • Double-check your username and password
  • Copy the credentials directly from the dashboard to avoid typos
  • Ensure special characters in passwords are properly escaped

Database Not Found​

  • Verify you're connecting to the correct database name
  • The database name matches your Hostless database name