---
title: Instagres
subtitle: Launch an instant Neon Postgres database with zero configuration
enableTableOfContents: true
redirectFrom:
  - /docs/reference/neon-launchpad
updatedOn: '2026-01-29T00:00:00.000Z'
---

Instagres gives you an instant Postgres database with a single API call. No account required.

Your database expires after 72 hours unless you claim it to your Neon account. Databases are provisioned on AWS us-east-2 running Postgres 17.

Access it at [instagres.com](https://instagres.com/) or [neon.new](https://neon.new/).

## Quick start

<Tabs labels={["API", "CLI"]}>

<TabItem>

```bash
curl -X POST https://instagres.com/api/v1/database \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"ref": "your-app-name"}'
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": "01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678",
  "status": "UNCLAIMED",
  "neon_project_id": "cool-breeze-12345678",
  "connection_string": "postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxx@ep-cool-breeze-pooler...",
  "claim_url": "https://instagres.com/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678",
  "expires_at": "2026-02-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "created_at": "2026-01-29T12:00:00.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-01-29T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

See [API reference](#api) for details.

</TabItem>

<TabItem>

```bash
npx get-db --yes
```

Writes to your `.env` file (partial output):

```
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-cool-breeze-a1b2c3d4-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require
```

See [CLI reference](#command-line-interface) for details.

</TabItem>

</Tabs>

## Limits

Unclaimed databases have stricter quotas. Claiming resets limits to your Neon plan.

|            | Unclaimed | Claimed (Free plan) |
| ---------- | --------- | ------------------- |
| Storage    | 100 MB    | 512 MB              |
| Transfer   | 1 GB      | ~5 GB               |
| Branches   | No        | Yes                 |
| Expiration | 72 hours  | None                |

## Claiming a database

Claiming is **optional**. Your database works immediately. Claim only if you want to keep it beyond 72 hours.

**To claim:**

1. Visit the `claim_url` from the API response
2. Sign in to Neon (or create an account)
3. Choose an organization for the database
4. Complete the transfer

After claiming, the database appears in your Neon console with expiration removed. The `status` changes to `CLAIMED` and `connection_string` becomes `null` in the API (use Neon console instead).

## API

The Instagres API provides programmatic database provisioning. No authentication required.

**Base URL:** `https://instagres.com/api/v1`

### Create database

```
POST /api/v1/database
```

| Parameter                    | Required | Description                                 |
| ---------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `ref`                        | Yes      | Referrer identifier (for tracking)          |
| `enable_logical_replication` | No       | Enable logical replication (default: false) |

### Get database

```
GET /api/v1/database/:id
```

Returns the same response schema.

### Response fields

| Field               | Type           | Description                                                                                                            |
| ------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`                | string         | Database identifier (UUID v7)                                                                                          |
| `status`            | string         | `UNCLAIMED`, `CLAIMING`, or `CLAIMED`                                                                                  |
| `neon_project_id`   | string         | Underlying Neon project ID                                                                                             |
| `connection_string` | string \| null | Postgres connection URL with pooling (null after claimed). For direct connections, remove `-pooler` from the hostname. |
| `claim_url`         | string         | URL to claim the database                                                                                              |
| `expires_at`        | string         | ISO 8601 expiration timestamp                                                                                          |
| `created_at`        | string         | ISO 8601 creation timestamp                                                                                            |
| `updated_at`        | string         | ISO 8601 last update timestamp                                                                                         |

<details>
<summary>Error responses</summary>

| Condition              | HTTP | Message                              |
| ---------------------- | ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| Missing or empty `ref` | 400  | `Missing referrer` (includes `hint`) |
| Invalid database ID    | 400  | `Database not found`                 |
| Invalid JSON body      | 500  | `Failed to create the database.`     |
| Invalid parameter type | 500  | `Failed to create the database.`     |

</details>

## Command-line interface

The `get-db` CLI creates a database and writes credentials to your `.env` file:

<Tabs labels={["npx", "yarn", "pnpm", "bunx", "deno"]}>

<TabItem>
```bash
npx get-db
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem>
```bash
yarn dlx get-db
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem>
```bash
pnpm dlx get-db
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem>
```bash
bunx get-db
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem>
```bash
deno run -A get-db
```
</TabItem>
</Tabs>

**Options:**

| Option                  | Alias | Description                           | Default        |
| ----------------------- | ----- | ------------------------------------- | -------------- |
| `--yes`                 | `-y`  | Skip prompts and use defaults         |                |
| `--env <path>`          | `-e`  | Path to the .env file                 | `./.env`       |
| `--key <string>`        | `-k`  | Env var for connection string         | `DATABASE_URL` |
| `--prefix <string>`     | `-p`  | Prefix for generated public vars      | `PUBLIC_`      |
| `--seed <path>`         | `-s`  | Path to SQL file to seed the database |                |
| `--logical-replication` | `-L`  | Enable logical replication            | `false`        |
| `--ref <string>`        | `-r`  | Referrer ID for affiliates program    |                |
| `--help`                | `-h`  | Show help message                     |                |

**Example output in `.env`:**

```txt
# Claimable DB expires at: Sat, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT
# Claim it now to your account: https://instagres.com/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-cool-breeze-a1b2c3d4-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require
DATABASE_URL_DIRECT=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-cool-breeze-a1b2c3d4.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require
PUBLIC_INSTAGRES_CLAIM_URL=https://instagres.com/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678
```

To claim, visit the URL in the comments above or run `npx get-db claim` to open it in your browser.

## Vite plugin

Add automatic database provisioning to Vite projects with `vite-plugin-db`:

```bash
npm install -D vite-plugin-db
```

```js
import { postgres } from 'vite-plugin-db';
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    postgres({ referrer: 'your-app-name' }),
  ],
});
```

The plugin provisions a database on first `vite dev` if `DATABASE_URL` is missing. It's inactive during `vite build`.

**Additional options:**

```js
// Inside defineConfig({ plugins: [...] })
postgres({
  referrer: 'your-app-name', // Required
  dotEnvFile: '.env.local', // Default: .env
  dotEnvKey: 'DATABASE_URL', // Default: DATABASE_URL
  envPrefix: 'VITE_', // For public env vars
  seed: {
    type: 'sql-script',
    path: './schema.sql',
  },
})
```

## Resources

- [Instagres website](https://instagres.com/)
- [get-db CLI on GitHub](https://github.com/neondatabase/neondb-cli/tree/main/packages/get-db)
- [Vite Plugin on GitHub](https://github.com/neondatabase/neondb-cli/tree/main/packages/vite-plugin-db)
- [Claimable database integration](/docs/workflows/claimable-database-integration) (build your own Instagres-like experience)