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Migrate from MongoDB to PostgreSQL

Starting from version [V.No] and above, Appsmith defaults to PostgreSQL as its primary database. When updating to a newer version, you must migrate your data from MongoDB to PostgreSQL. This page provides information and instructions for performing this migration.

Prerequisites​

Before starting the migration, ensure the following requirements are met:

  • Back up the Appsmith instance to ensure you can revert if necessary. For more information, see the Backup Appsmith instance guide.
  • Ensure you have PostgreSQL version 14 or higher.
  • If using an external PostgreSQL instance, verify that the PostgreSQL instance has permissions for both CREATE SCHEMA and CREATE EXTENSION.

Migrate Appsmith data​

Follow these steps to perform the migration:

  1. Access the appsmith container to run migration commands.

  2. Run the following command to create a dump of your MongoDB data in JSONL format. Replace <mongo_db_url> with your MongoDB connection URL:

    node /opt/appsmith/utils/bin/move-to-postgres.mjs --mongodb-url=<mongo_db_url>

This will store the MongoDB data in the /appsmith-stacks/mongo-data directory for transfer.

  1. Go to the directory containing the Appsmith configuration file, such as docker.env for Docker or values.yaml for Kubernetes.

  2. Update APPSMITH_DB_URL environment variable. If using an external PostgreSQL database, update the APPSMITH_DB_URL environment variable with your PostgreSQL connection details:

    export APPSMITH_DB_URL=postgresql://{username}:{password}@{host}:{port}/{db_name}?options

  3. Restart the Appsmith container to apply the changes. The migration process may take time depending on the data volume, so it’s advisable to schedule it during a maintenance window as Appsmith will be unavailable during this process.

  4. Log into your Appsmith instance and verify the Apps and App data to confirm the migration is successful.

Troubleshooting​

If issues arise during migration, consider these steps:

  • Verify that the specified MongoDB URL in the migration command is accurate.
  • Confirm that your PostgreSQL instance is accessible and has the necessary permissions.
  • Rollback to the previous version of Appsmith. For more information, see Restore Appsmith instance.

If you continue to face issues, contact the support team using the chat widget at the bottom right of this page.

See also​