Import and export PostgreSQL

You move data into and out of a Sevalla PostgreSQL database with PostgreSQL’s own tools over the database’s external connection: pg_dump to export, pg_restore or psql to import. The same commands move a database from another provider to Sevalla.

Before you begin

Create the database on Sevalla first, on the same PostgreSQL major version as the source or a newer one. If the data uses pgvector or PostGIS, turn those extensions on when you create the database: the database user can’t create extensions.
Enable the external connection. If IP restrictions are on, allow your IP address.
Install the PostgreSQL client tools (pg_dump, pg_restore, psql) at the same major version as the newer of the two servers, or newer: pg_dump refuses to dump a server newer than itself. For a PostgreSQL 17 database, use version 17 or 18. Get them from postgresql.org/download: on macOS brew install postgresql@17, on Debian or Ubuntu the postgresql-client-17 package from the PostgreSQL APT repository, on Windows the EDB installer.
Copy the Host, Port, Database, User and Password from the database’s Overview tab, under Connection > External. See Find the connection details.

The examples use the host orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app, port 20145, database orders and user orders; replace them with yours. Each command asks for the password. To skip the prompt, set it for the session first:

export PGPASSWORD='<password>'

Export a database

pg_dump --host=orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app --port=20145 \
  --username=orders --dbname=orders \
  --format=custom --no-owner --no-privileges \
  --file=orders.dump

--format=custom writes a compressed archive that pg_restore can restore in parallel. --no-owner and --no-privileges leave out ownership and grants, which refer to roles that don’t exist on the destination. For a plain SQL file you can read, use --format=plain --file=orders.sql instead. To export from another provider before you move to Sevalla, run the same command with that provider’s host, port, user and database.

Import a database

Import into an empty database. Use pg_restore for a custom-format archive and psql for a plain SQL file.

Archive (.dump)
Plain SQL (.sql)

pg_restore --host=orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app --port=20145 \
  --username=orders --dbname=orders \
  --no-owner --no-privileges --jobs=4 \
  orders.dump

--jobs=4 restores four tables at a time. pg_restore prints errors as it goes and reports how many it ignored at the end.

psql --host=orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app --port=20145 \
  --username=orders --dbname=orders \
  --single-transaction --set=ON_ERROR_STOP=1 \
  --file=orders.sql

--single-transaction with ON_ERROR_STOP stops at the first error and leaves the database as it was. A file made by pg_dump --no-owner --no-privileges imports without role errors.

Check the result by listing the tables:

psql --host=orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app --port=20145 --username=orders --dbname=orders --command='\dt'

Restore a dump backup

Databases in OCI locations write their dump backups as gzip-compressed plain SQL made with pg_dump --clean --if-exists --no-owner --no-privileges. Download one and load it into any PostgreSQL database of the same or a newer version:

gunzip -c 20261018-000000_automatic_pg17_orders-db-backups.sql.gz | \
  psql --host=orders-db-k3j4h.ext.sevalla.app --port=20145 \
  --username=orders --dbname=orders --single-transaction --set=ON_ERROR_STOP=1

To restore a Sevalla backup into a Sevalla database, use Restore on the Backups tab instead. See Restore a backup.

Common errors

Error	Fix
`pg_dump: error: aborting because of server version mismatch`	Install client tools of the server’s major version or newer.
`role "..." does not exist`	Export again with `--no-owner --no-privileges`, or pass both options to `pg_restore`.
`permission denied to create extension "..."`	The database user can’t create extensions. Create a database with pgvector or PostGIS turned on, or remove the extension from the dump.
`could not translate host name` or `Connection refused`	Check the external connection is on and the host and port match the dashboard. See Troubleshoot databases.

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Import and export PostgreSQL

Before you begin

Export a database

Import a database

Restore a dump backup

Common errors

​Before you begin

​Export a database

​Import a database

​Restore a dump backup

​Common errors

Before you begin

Export a database

Import a database

Restore a dump backup

Common errors