Neon Launchpad

Neon Launchpad enables instant provisioning of a Postgres database without configuration or account creation.

Built on Neon's serverless Postgres platform, it provides immediate database access for development and testing.

Access it now at neon.new.

Core features

The service provides the following capabilities:

• Instant database provisioning with immediate connection string availability
• Resource limits matching Neon's Free plan specifications
• 72-hour database lifespan if not claimed
• Option to claim databases with a unique claim ID and Neon account
• Automatic database seeding with SQL scripts for schema and data initialization (via CLI or Vite plugin)

Access methods

Browser access

1. Navigate to https://neon.new
2. Select Try in your browser, which redirects to https://neon.new/db
3. Receive an automatically generated connection string
4. Save the provided Claim URL to add this database to a Neon account later, or claim now

Command-line interface

Execute with your preferred package manager:

npx neondb

CLI options:

Examples:

# Basic usage: creates a new Neon database and writes credentials to .env
npx neondb

# Seed the database with a SQL file after creation
npx neondb --seed ./init.sql

# Use a custom .env file and environment variable key
npx neondb --env ./my.env --key MY_DB_URL

# Skip prompts and use defaults
npx neondb --yes

# Detects PUBLIC_NEON_LAUNCHPAD_CLAIM_URL (default) from your environment,
# and opens the defined claim URL in your browser
npx neondb claim

The CLI writes the connection string, claim URL, and expiration to the specified .env file and outputs them in the terminal. For example:

# Claimable DB expires at: Sun, 05 Oct 2025 23:11:33 GMT
# Claim it now to your account: https://neon.new/database/aefc1112-0419-323a-97d4-05254da94551
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_4zqVsO2sJeUS@ep-tiny-scene-bgmszqe1.c-2.eu-central-1.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require
DATABASE_URL_POOLER=postgresql://neondb_owner:npg_4zqVsO2sJeUS@ep-tiny-scene-bgmszqe1-pooler.c-2.eu-central-1.aws.neon.tech/neondb?channel_binding=require&sslmode=require
PUBLIC_NEON_LAUNCHPAD_CLAIM_URL=https://neon.new/database/aefc1112-0419-323a-97d4-05254da94551

For advanced SDK/API usage, see the Neondb CLI package on GitHub.

Integration with development tools

Add Postgres support to Vite projects using the @neondatabase/vite-plugin-postgres plugin. The plugin provisions a database and injects credentials into your environment file if needed.

The example below includes React, but you can use the Neon plugin with any Vite-compatible framework.

Configuration options:

seed object:

Example config:

import { postgres } from '@neondatabase/vite-plugin-postgres';
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react';
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    postgres({
      env: '.env.local', // Custom .env file (default: '.env')
      envKey: 'DATABASE_URL', // Env variable for connection string (default: 'DATABASE_URL')
      envPrefix: 'PUBLIC_', // Prefix for public environment variables
      seed: {
        type: 'sql-script',
        path: './schema.sql', // SQL file to run after DB creation
      },
    }),
    react(),
  ],
});

Note: The plugin exports a named export (postgres) instead of relying on the default export to improve auto-completion.

How the plugin works:

1. When running vite dev, the plugin checks if the envKey (default: DATABASE_URL) exists in your environment (default: .env) file
2. If the environment variable exists, the plugin takes no action
3. If the environment variable is missing, the plugin:
   • Automatically creates a new Neon claimable database
   • Adds two connection strings to your environment file:
     • DATABASE_URL - Standard connection string
     • DATABASE_URL_POOLER - Connection pooler string
   • Includes the claimable URL as a comment and public variable in the environment file

The plugin is inactive during production builds (vite build) to prevent changes to environment files and database provisioning in production environments. If seed is configured, the specified SQL script is executed after database creation. If an error occurs (such as a missing or invalid SQL file), an error message will be displayed.

For more details, see the Vite Plugin package on GitHub.

Claiming a database

To persist a database beyond the 72-hour expiration period:

1. Access the claim URL provided during database creation
2. Sign in to an existing Neon account or create a new one
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the claim process

The claim URL is available:

• On the Neon Launchpad interface where the connection string is displayed
• As a comment and public claim variable in environment files (e.g., .env) when using the CLI
• The public claim variable is used when executing npx neondb claim to claim the database, which launches the browser window

Claim process details

When claiming a project, you'll be asked to choose an organization to claim it into. Note that projects cannot be claimed into Vercel organizations.

Use cases

Neon Launchpad is designed for scenarios requiring rapid database provisioning:

• Development and testing environments
• Evaluation of Neon's capabilities before committing to an account
• AI agent integration without authentication overhead
• Quick prototyping sessions

Note that provisioned databases expire after 72 hours unless claimed as described in the previous section.

Default configuration

The service uses the following default settings:

Technical implementation

The Neon Launchpad service is built on Neon's claimable database integration, which provides APIs for creating projects and generating transfer requests. This allows the service to provision databases immediately while deferring account creation until users choose to claim their database. You can build similar experiences in your own application using the claimable database APIs.

Resources

• Neondb CLI package on GitHub
• Vite Plugin package on GitHub
• Blog post: Neon Launchpad: A Tool For Instant Postgres, No Login Needed