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> Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt

# PostgreSQL Restore Database

**Info:** Restoring databases with pg_restore works the same on any PostgreSQL deployment, so you can apply these steps wherever your Postgres runs. If you're an enterprise team looking for managed Postgres that's built for the AI era, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers high performance, strong security, and deep integration with the Lakehouse. If you're a developer or startup that needs to ship quickly and scale without friction, [Neon](https://neon.com) is the Postgres platform designed for that pace.

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to restore a database by using a **PostgreSQL restore** tool called `pg_restore`.

## Introduction to the PostgreSQL pg_restore tool

[To perform a logical backup of a PostgreSQL database](https://neon.com/postgresql/administration/postgresql-backup-database), you use the `pg_dump` tool. To back up all the databases on a PostgreSQL cluster, you use the `pg_dumpall` tool.

Both `pg_dump` and `pg_dumpall` tools create a snapshot of one or all databases at the time the command starts running.

To restore a database created by the `pg_dump` or `pg_dumpall` tools, you can use the `pg_restore` tool.

The `pg_restore` tool allows you to restore the PostgreSQL database from an archive file.

Here's the syntax of the `pg_restore` command:

```bash
pg_restore [connection-option] [option] [filename]
```

The following table presents the most commonly used command-line options for the `pg_restore` utility:

| Option                     | Description                                                                                                                                                                   |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| -U, –username=USERNAME     | Specifies the username that you use to connect to the PostgreSQL server.                                                                                                      |
| -h, –host=HOSTNAME         | Specifies the hostname of the server on which the PostgreSQL server is running.                                                                                               |
| -p, –port=PORT             | Specifies the port number on which the PostgreSQL server is listening.                                                                                                        |
| -d, –dbname=DBNAME         | Specifies the name of the database that you want to restore into.                                                                                                             |
| -t, –table=TABLE           | Specifies one or more tables that you want to restore. If you restore multiple tables, you need to separate them by commas.                                                   |
| -v, –verbose               | Shows verbose output that including information about the objects being restored.                                                                                             |
| -c, –clean                 | Drops existing database objects from the database before restoring the dump.                                                                                                  |
| -C, –create                | Creates the database before restoring it.                                                                                                                                     |
| -e, –exit-on-error         | Stops the restore process in case of an error.                                                                                                                                |
| -F, –format=FORMAT         | Specifies the format of the input file (e.g., custom, directory, tar).                                                                                                        |
| -j, –jobs=NUM              | Specifies the number of parallel jobs to use when restoring data.                                                                                                             |
| -n, –schema=SCHEMA         | Specifies one or more schema of the database objects that you want to restore the objects. If you restore objects from multiple schemas, you need to separate them by commas. |
| -L, –use-list=FILENAME     | Specifies a file containing a list of files that you want to restore.                                                                                                         |
| -t, –tablespace=TABLESPACE | Specifies the tablespace for the tables that you want to restore.                                                                                                             |
| -v, –version               | Shows the version of pg\_restore and exits.                                                                                                                                   |
| -?, –help                  | Shows help and usage information.                                                                                                                                             |

## PostgreSQL Restore Database example

First, open the Command Prompt on Windows or Terminal on Unix-like systems.

Second, back up the dvdrental database to a directory such as D:\backup\

```bash
pg_dump -U postgres -d dvdrental -F tar -f d:\backup\dvdrental.tar

```

It'll prompt you to enter the password for the user `postgres`. After entering a valid password, the `pg_dump` will create an archive file dvdrental.tar in the `D:\backup` file.

Third, connect to the PostgreSQL server:

```bash
psql -U postgres
```

Fourth, drop the `dvdrental` database:

```sql
drop database dvdrental;
```

Fifth, create a new empty `dvdrental` database:

```sql
create database dvdrental;
```

Sixth, exit the psql:

```
exit
```

Seven, restore the dvdrental database from the backup file using the pg_restore tool:

```bash
pg_restore -U postgres -d dvdrental D:/backup/dvdrental.tar
```

Eight, connect to the dvdrental database:

```bash
psql -U postgres -d dvdrental
```

Ninth, show the tables:

```
\dt
```

It returns all the tables in the dvdrental database.

Finally, exit the psql:

```
exit
```

## Summary

- Use the `pg_restore` tool to restore a PostgreSQL database from an archive file.

---

## Related docs (Backup & Restore)

- [Backup Databases](https://neon.com/postgresql/administration/backup-database)