--- title: "Neon Postgres: Free Claimable DB in Minutes — No Install" slug: "free-neon-postgres-claimable-database" published: "2026-05-11" updated: "2026-05-11" categories: - "Tools" tags: - "Neon Postgres" - "neon.new" - "claimable Postgres" - "free Postgres database" - "DATABASE_URL" - "pooled URL" - "direct Postgres URL" - "Postgres 17" - "npx neon-new" - "postgres migrations" - "neon claim_url" llm-intent: "how-to" audience-level: "beginner" llm-purpose: "Neon Postgres — create a free claimable Postgres 17 instance in minutes with one curl command. Grab the pooled DATABASE_URL, restart your app, and claim…" llm-prereqs: - "Neon" - "Postgres 17" - "curl" - ".env" - "npx neon-new" - "PostgreSQL" - "Neon CLI" --- **Summary Triples** - (Neon Postgres: Free Claimable DB in Minutes — No Install, expresses-intent, how-to) - (Neon Postgres: Free Claimable DB in Minutes — No Install, covers-topic, Neon Postgres) - (Neon Postgres: Free Claimable DB in Minutes — No Install, provides-guidance-for, Neon Postgres — create a free claimable Postgres 17 instance in minutes with one curl command. Grab the pooled DATABASE_URL, restart your app, and claim…) ### {GOAL} Neon Postgres — create a free claimable Postgres 17 instance in minutes with one curl command. Grab the pooled DATABASE_URL, restart your app, and claim… ### {PREREQS} - Neon - Postgres 17 - curl - .env - npx neon-new - PostgreSQL - Neon CLI ### {STEPS} 1. Create a claimable database with curl 2. Inspect the JSON response 3. Paste connection_string into .env 4. Restart your development server 5. Create a direct URL for migrations (optional) 6. Claim the database to keep it # Neon Postgres: Free Claimable DB in Minutes — No Install > Neon Postgres — create a free claimable Postgres 17 instance in minutes with one curl command. Grab the pooled DATABASE_URL, restart your app, and claim… Matija Žiberna · 2026-05-11 If you want a real Postgres database without installing anything locally, Neon gives you a very fast option: - it is free to start - it takes one command - you do not need a Neon account to create it - you get a working database URL immediately This guide is written to be extremely easy to follow, even if you have never created a cloud database before. ## What You Are Creating You are creating a temporary Neon Postgres database through `neon.new`. This is called a **claimable database** because: - it works immediately after creation - it is free - it expires after 72 hours if you do nothing - you can later "claim" it into your Neon account if you want to keep it Neon says these databases are currently provisioned on: - AWS `us-east-2` - Postgres `17` ## When This Is Useful This is a very good fit for: - local development - side projects - hackathons - prototypes - demos - temporary test environments It is not meant to be your long-term production database unless you claim it and move into a normal Neon setup. ## Before You Start You only need: - a terminal - `curl` - a place to paste your database URL, usually a `.env` file If your app uses PostgreSQL, it likely expects a variable called: ```env DATABASE_URL= ``` ## Step 1: Create the Database Run this command: ```bash curl -X POST https://neon.new/api/v1/database \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"ref":"your-app-name"}' ``` Replace `your-app-name` with something simple that identifies your project. Examples: ```bash curl -X POST https://neon.new/api/v1/database \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"ref":"my-nextjs-app"}' ``` ```bash curl -X POST https://neon.new/api/v1/database \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"ref":"portfolio-site"}' ``` ## Step 2: Look at the Response Neon will return JSON that looks like this: ```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.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require", "claim_url": "https://neon.new/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" } ``` You do **not** need to understand every field. The 3 fields that matter most are: - `connection_string` - `claim_url` - `expires_at` Here is what each one means: - `connection_string` This is the main database URL you will paste into your app. - `claim_url` Open this link later if you want to keep the database longer than 72 hours. - `expires_at` This is the exact expiration time for the temporary database. ## Step 3: Copy `connection_string` into Your `.env` File In most apps, you should paste the returned `connection_string` into: ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://... ``` Example: ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require ``` If your project already has a `.env` file, open it and replace the old `DATABASE_URL`. If your project does not have one yet, create a `.env` file and add: ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require ``` ## Step 4: Restart Your App If your development server is already running, stop it and start it again. Why: - many frameworks only read `.env` values at startup - if you do not restart, your app may still use the old database URL ## The Most Important Detail: Pooled vs Direct URL The `connection_string` Neon returns is a **pooled** URL. That is usually the correct one for: - application queries - local app development - server runtimes - most normal usage You should generally use this for: ```env DATABASE_URL=... ``` ### What the pooled hostname looks like A pooled Neon hostname contains: ```txt -pooler ``` Example: ```txt ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech ``` ## If You Need a Direct URL for Migrations Some tools prefer a direct database connection for migrations. To create a direct URL: 1. take the same `connection_string` 2. find the hostname 3. remove `-pooler` ### Example Pooled hostname: ```txt ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech ``` Direct hostname: ```txt ep-example.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech ``` ### Example full env setup ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require DATABASE_URL_DIRECT=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require PUBLIC_POSTGRES_CLAIM_URL=https://neon.new/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678 ``` Use this as a simple rule: - `DATABASE_URL` = pooled URL for the app - `DATABASE_URL_DIRECT` = direct URL for migrations if your tooling wants it ## The Easiest Setup Pattern If you want the safest and simplest setup, use this template: ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require DATABASE_URL_DIRECT=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require PUBLIC_POSTGRES_CLAIM_URL=https://neon.new/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678 ``` If your app also requires a secret, keep that in the same file too. Example: ```env DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example-pooler.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require DATABASE_URL_DIRECT=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_xxxxxxxxxxxx@ep-example.c-2.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require PAYLOAD_SECRET=your-existing-secret PUBLIC_POSTGRES_CLAIM_URL=https://neon.new/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678 ``` ## CLI Option: Let Neon Write the `.env` File for You If you want Neon to handle the env file for you, use the CLI: ```bash npx neon-new --yes ``` According to the Neon docs, this writes values like these into `.env`: ```env 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 # Claimable DB expires at: Sat, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT # Claim it now to your account using the link below: PUBLIC_POSTGRES_CLAIM_URL=https://neon.new/claim/01abc123-def4-5678-9abc-def012345678 ``` This is the easiest option if: - you are starting a brand-new project - you want a quick setup - you want fewer manual copy-paste steps ## How to Claim the Database So It Does Not Expire By default, the database expires after 72 hours. If you want to keep it: 1. open the `claim_url` 2. sign in to Neon, or create an account 3. choose the Neon organization where the database should live 4. complete the transfer After you claim it: - the expiration is removed - the database appears in your Neon console - it becomes part of your normal Neon account setup Important detail from Neon: - after claiming, the API `connection_string` becomes `null` - at that point, use the Neon console for ongoing connection details ## Limits of the Free Unclaimed Database According to the Neon docs, unclaimed databases currently have these limits: | Feature | Unclaimed | | --- | --- | | Storage | 100 MB | | Transfer | 1 GB | | Branches | No | | Expiration | 72 hours | If you claim the database, limits move to your Neon plan. ## Common Questions ### Do I need a Neon account to create the database? No. You can create the database immediately without an account. ### Do I need to install Postgres locally? No. That is one of the biggest advantages of this workflow. ### Is this a real Postgres database? Yes. Neon’s docs say claimable databases run on Postgres 17. ### Should I use the pooled URL or the direct URL? Use the pooled URL first unless you know you specifically need a direct connection for migrations or tooling. ### What happens if I do nothing? The database expires after 72 hours. ### Can I keep the same database? Yes, but you need to claim it through the `claim_url`. ## Copy-Paste Checklist If you want the shortest possible version, do this: 1. Run: ```bash curl -X POST https://neon.new/api/v1/database \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"ref":"your-app-name"}' ``` 2. Copy `connection_string` 3. Paste it into: ```env DATABASE_URL=... ``` 4. Optionally create `DATABASE_URL_DIRECT` by removing `-pooler` from the hostname 5. Save `claim_url` 6. Restart your app 7. Claim the database if you want to keep it past 72 hours ## One-Sentence Version If you want a free Postgres database right now, create one with `neon.new`, paste the returned `connection_string` into `DATABASE_URL`, and claim it later only if you want to keep it beyond 72 hours. ## Official Links - `neon.new`: https://neon.new/ - Claimable Postgres docs: https://neon.com/docs/reference/claimable-postgres - Neon docs index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt