pgsqlio

Backup and restore PostgreSQL from a terminal menu.

Paste a connection URL. Pick dump, restore, cleanup, or drop. No flags to memorize, no subcommands to look up.

bunx pgsqlio
# or
npx pgsqlio

You need pg_dump and psql on your PATH (the PostgreSQL client tools), plus Bun 1.3+ or Node.js 26.4+.

What you can do

| | | | --- | --- | | Dump | Back up one database or many, into separate files or one combined file | | Restore | Load a .sql backup — wipe first if the target already has tables | | Cleanup | Empty a database’s public schema without dropping the database itself | | Drop | Pick databases from a list and delete them for good |

Start pgsqlio, then choose from the menu. Arrow keys move, Enter confirms, Esc goes back, Ctrl+C quits.

Connection URL

Host-only URLs are fine for dump and drop. Cleanup needs a database name on the URL.

postgresql://user:password@host:5432
postgresql://user:password@host:5432/mydb
postgresql://[email protected]

If the connection fails, the error stays under the field so you can fix the URL and try again.

Dump

1. Paste the URL
2. Dump all databases, or pick from a list
3. If you picked more than one: separate files or one combined file
4. Watch each database finish

| Mode | File you get | | --- | --- | | Separate | backup_<dbname>_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.sql | | Combined | backup_combined_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.sql |

Combined files create missing databases on restore and switch between them with \connect. Dumps include --clean --if-exists, so restore can replace objects that already exist.

Restore

1. Paste the URL
2. Enter the path to the .sql file
3. Choose how to apply it

| Option | Use it when | | --- | --- | | Wipe schemas, then restore | The target already has tables, or a previous restore failed with “already exists” | | Restore as-is | The databases are empty |

Combined dumps create any missing databases, then load the file.

Cleanup

Empties one database’s public schema. The database itself stays.

1. Paste a URL with /dbname
2. Confirm

This runs:

DROP SCHEMA public CASCADE;
CREATE SCHEMA public;

Drop databases

Permanently deletes the databases you select.

1. Paste the URL
2. Check the databases to drop
3. Confirm

Active connections are kicked first so the drop can proceed. postgres and template* are protected and will not appear in the list.

Keyboard

| Key | Action | | --- | --- | | ↑ / ↓ | Move | | Enter | Confirm | | Space | Toggle a checkbox | | a | Select all (on lists) | | Esc | Back | | Ctrl+C | Quit |

Good to know

• Use a role that can dump, create, and drop, depending on what you plan to do.
• Host-only URLs work for dump and drop. Cleanup needs /dbname on the URL.
• Prefer Wipe schemas, then restore if restore complains that objects already exist.