Import Data Assistant

When you're ready to move your data to Neon, our Import Data Assistant can help you automatically copy your existing database to Neon. You only need to provide a connection string to get started.

Ways to import

The Import Data Assistant always creates a new branch for your imported data. There are two ways to launch the import:

1. From the Projects page:
   Start from the project list to create a new project and import your data into a new branch as part of the flow.

   

2. From within a project:
   Use the Getting Started widget on a project dashboard to import your data into a new branch of the existing project.

   

Both options use the same automated import process — just provide your database connection string and we'll handle the rest.

Before you start

You'll need:

• A Neon account. Sign up at Neon if you don't have one.
• A connection string to your current database in this format:

  postgresql://username:password@host:port/database?sslmode=require

• Admin privileges on your source database. We recommend using a superuser or a user with the necessary CREATE, SELECT, INSERT, and REPLICATION privileges.
• A database smaller than 10 GB in size for automated import
• We recommend migrating to a Neon project created in the same region as your current database. This helps ensure a faster import. There is a 1-hour time limit on import operations.

1. Check Compatibility

   Enter your database connection string and we'll verify:

   • Database size is within the current 10 GB limit
   • Postgres version compatibility (Postgres 14 to 17)
   • Extension compatibility
   • Region availability

2. Import Your Data

   Once checks pass, we'll:

   • Create a new branch for your imported data.
   • Copy your data automatically using pg_dump and pg_restore.
   • Verify that the import completed successfully.

   note

   During import, your source database remains untouched — we only read from it to create a copy in Neon.

   Known Limitations

   • Currently limited to databases smaller than 10GB. We are actively working on supporting bigger workloads. In the meantime, contact support if you are looking to migrate bigger databases.
   • There is a 1-hour limit on import operations. For faster imports, we recommend importing to a Neon project created in the same region as your source database.
   • The feature is supported in AWS regions only.
   • Databases that use event triggers are not supported.
   • Supabase and Heroku databases are not supported, as both use event triggers or unsupported Postgres extensions.
   • Databases running on IPv6 are not supported yet.
   • AWS RDS is generally supported, though some incompatibilities may exist. Support for other providers may vary.

3. Next Steps

   After a successful import:

   1. Find your newly imported database branch on the Branches page of your project.

      

      Imported branches are typically named with a timestamp, as shown here.

   2. Run some test queries to ensure everything imported correctly.

   3. Click on the three dots next to the branch name and select Set as default to make it your default branch.

   4. Optional cleanup:

      • Delete the old branches (production and development) if they are no longer needed.
      • Rename the new branch to production for clarity and consistency.

   5. Switch your connection string to point to your new Neon database.

Need Help?

• For databases larger than 10GB: Contact our migration team
• For technical issues: Contact support
• For provider-specific questions: Let us know what database provider you're using when you contact us

If your database import failed for any reason, please contact our support team. We're here to help you get up and running, including assistance with databases larger than 10GB.