Get Started with PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter

This tutorial guides you through creating and connecting to a PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instance.

Additionally, you can try out TiDB features on TiDB Playground.

Step 1: Create a TiDB Cloud Starter instance

To create a TiDB Cloud Starter instance, follow these steps:

1. If you do not have a TiDB Cloud account, click here to sign up.

   You can sign up with your email and password to manage your password using TiDB Cloud, or choose to sign in with your Google, GitHub, or Microsoft account for single sign-on (SSO) to TiDB Cloud.

2. Log in to your TiDB Cloud account.

   The My TiDB page is displayed by default.

3. To create a new PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instance, follow these steps:

   1. Click Create Resource.
   2. On the Create Resource page, select Starter.
   3. In the Compatibility Mode section, select PostgreSQL Compatible.
   4. Enter a name for the TiDB Cloud Starter instance, select the cloud provider and target region, and then click Create.
   Note

   PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instances are currently free during the public preview.

   The first 10 PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instances in your organization are eligible for the free quota. Each eligible instance includes the following monthly free quota:

   • 50 GiB of row-based storage
   • 500 million Request Units (RUs)

   When a PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instance reaches its free quota, excessive resource consumption may be subject to usage restrictions or service suspension. If you anticipate exceeding these allowances, please contact support@pingcap.com to discuss your requirements.

Step 2: Connect to your TiDB Cloud Starter instance

PostgreSQL-compatible TiDB Cloud Starter instances support the PostgreSQL wire protocol, so you can connect to them using most PostgreSQL tools, drivers, and ORMs. The following steps use the PostgreSQL CLI client psql as an example.

1. Navigate to the My TiDB page, and then click the name of your target TiDB Cloud Starter instance to go to its overview page.
2. Click Connect in the upper-right corner. A connection dialog is displayed with connection parameters.
3. Ensure that the settings in the connection dialog match your operating environment.
4. Click Generate Password to create a random password.
5. In the Connect With drop-down list, select PostgreSQL CLI.
6. Copy the connection command, paste it into your terminal, and then press Enter to run it.

The PostgreSQL CLI client psql opens and connects to your TiDB Cloud Starter instance.

What's next

• To learn about PostgreSQL compatibility, see PostgreSQL Compatibility.
• To learn about the PostgreSQL extensions currently supported by TiDB Cloud, see PostgreSQL Extensions.