Import Data Assistant

The Import Data Assistant can help you automatically import your existing database. The assistant supports databases smaller than 10 GB; you only need a connection string to get started.

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&channel_binding=require

  If you are migrating a database from one Neon project to another, you need the connection string for the source database, which you can access from the Connect modal on the project dashboard.

• Admin privileges on your source database. We recommend using a superuser if migrating from another platform, or a user with the necessary CREATE, SELECT, INSERT, and REPLICATION privileges.

• A database smaller than 10 GB in size for automated import. For larger databases, use Migrate data from Postgres with pg_dump and pg_restore.

• Unless you are intentionally migrating to a different region, we recommend migrating to a Neon project created in the same region as your current database for a faster import. There is a 1-hour time limit on import operations.

• For other constraints that apply to this flow, see Known limitations.

1. Launch the assistant

   Launch the assistant from the Projects page:

   

2. Check compatibility

   Enter your database connection string and click Run Checks.

   

   We'll verify the following:

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

3. Create a new Neon project

   Click the Create new Neon project button, specify your project settings including the Postgres version and region, and click Create.

   

4. Start import process

   Back in the assistant, click the Start import process button.

   note

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

Known limitations

• Supabase and Heroku databases are not supported due to unsupported Postgres extensions.
• Databases running on IPv6 are not supported.
• AWS RDS is generally supported, though some incompatibilities may exist. Support for other providers may vary.

Next steps

After a successful import:

1. Run some test queries to ensure everything imported correctly.
2. If you've migrated from another Neon project, remove your old project if it's no longer needed.
3. Switch the connection string in your app to point to your new Neon database.