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Migrate from Supabase to Xata

Learn how to migrate your Supabase PostgreSQL database to Xata using xata clone. Step-by-step instructions for handling Supabase-specific schemas and features.

Prerequisites

  • Supabase project
  • Access to Supabase Dashboard
  • Xata account and project setup
  • Network access to your Supabase database

About Supabase and Xata

Supabase and Xata both provide PostgreSQL, but with different approaches:

  • Supabase: PostgreSQL with built-in Auth, Storage, and Realtime features
  • Xata: Vanilla PostgreSQL with advanced branching and data operations

What Gets Migrated

When you clone a Supabase database to Xata:

✅ What's Included:

  • All your custom tables and data
  • Database schema and relationships
  • Stored procedures and functions
  • Custom extensions you've installed

⚠️ What's Not Included:

  • Supabase Auth (users, sessions, policies)
  • Supabase Storage (file storage)
  • Supabase Realtime (websocket subscriptions)
  • Supabase Edge Functions
  • Supabase-specific extensions (auth, storage, etc.)

Create Snapshot User

Connect to your Supabase database and create a dedicated user for migration:

-- Create snapshot user
CREATE USER xata_snapshot WITH LOGIN PASSWORD 'your_secure_password';

-- Grant necessary privileges
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO xata_snapshot;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO xata_snapshot;

-- Grant privileges on future tables
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO xata_snapshot;

Get Connection String

Find Your Connection Details

  1. Go to Supabase Dashboard → Your Project
  2. Navigate to "Settings" → "Database"
  3. Copy the connection string from "Connection string" section

Connection String Format

Supabase connection strings typically look like this:

postgresql://postgres:[YOUR-PASSWORD]@db.[YOUR-PROJECT-REF].supabase.co:5432/postgres

Using the Snapshot User

Replace the default postgres user with your snapshot user:

postgresql://xata_snapshot:your_password@db.[YOUR-PROJECT-REF].supabase.co:5432/postgres

Handle Supabase Schemas

Option 1: Clone Everything (Including Supabase Schemas)

This will clone all data including Supabase's internal schemas:

# Clone everything
export XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL="postgresql://xata_snapshot:password@db.project-ref.supabase.co:5432/postgres"
xata clone start --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL

Clone only your application data, excluding Supabase-specific schemas:

# Configure clone to exclude Supabase schemas
xata clone config --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL --mode prompt

# During configuration, exclude these schemas:
# - auth (Supabase authentication)
# - storage (Supabase file storage)
# - graphql_public (Supabase GraphQL)
# - realtime (Supabase realtime)
# - vault (Supabase secrets)

Initialize Xata Project

Set up your Xata project configuration:

xata init

Configure the Migration

Set up your clone configuration with schema filtering:

# Set your source URL
export XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL="postgresql://xata_snapshot:your_password@db.project-ref.supabase.co:5432/postgres"

# Configure with schema filtering
xata clone config --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL --mode prompt

Start the Migration

Begin the data transfer:

# Start the migration
xata clone start --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL

Monitor Progress

Check the migration status:

xata clone status

Verification

After migration, verify your data:

  1. Connect to Xata Branch:

    xata branch url

  2. Check Data Integrity:

    -- Compare row counts
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM your_table;

-- Check sample data
SELECT * FROM your_table LIMIT 10;

  3. Test Relationships: Verify foreign key relationships work correctly

Post-Migration Setup

1. Set Up Authentication

Since Supabase Auth won't be available, you'll need to implement authentication:

  • Option A: Use a third-party auth provider (Auth0, Clerk, etc.)
  • Option B: Implement custom authentication
  • Option C: Use Xata's built-in authentication features (if available)

2. Handle File Storage

Replace Supabase Storage with an alternative:

  • Option A: Use cloud storage (AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage)
  • Option B: Use a CDN service
  • Option C: Implement your own file storage solution

3. Replace Realtime Features

If you were using Supabase Realtime:

  • Option A: Use WebSockets with your backend
  • Option B: Use a realtime service (Pusher, Ably)
  • Option C: Implement polling for simple use cases

Migration Strategies

Strategy 1: Gradual Migration

  1. Clone data to Xata
  2. Migrate authentication first
  3. Update file storage implementation
  4. Replace realtime features
  5. Switch application to Xata

Strategy 2: Parallel Systems

  1. Keep Supabase for Auth/Storage/Realtime
  2. Use Xata for database operations
  3. Gradually migrate features to Xata
  4. Eventually consolidate to Xata

Strategy 3: Clean Slate

  1. Clone only application data (exclude Supabase schemas)
  2. Implement new auth/storage/realtime solutions
  3. Build new features on Xata
  4. Migrate existing features gradually

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Permission Denied:

    • Verify the snapshot user has correct privileges
    • Check that the user has sufficient permissions

  2. Schema Conflicts:

    • Exclude Supabase schemas during configuration
    • Use schema filtering in clone config

  3. Connection Issues:

    • Verify the connection string format
    • Check that SSL is enabled
    • Ensure the database is accessible

  4. Large Dataset:

    • Consider breaking the migration into smaller chunks
    • Use continuous sync for ongoing updates

SSL Configuration

Supabase requires SSL. Include SSL parameters:

postgresql://user:password@host/database?sslmode=require

Next Steps