bit.io Connect Tab

Connecting to a bit.io Database with PostgreSQL-Compatible Tools

Your bit.io database is a PostgreSQL database, which means you can connect to it using the vast range of different tools that work with PostgreSQL databases.

The starting point for all of this is the "connect" tab for the database you want to access.

This tab has a few pieces of key information:

• The postgreSQL Connection string for connecting to the database: for some SQL clients, such as psql and Connecting via SQLAlchemy, this is all you need.
• The Database name: You will need to specify the name of the database you want to connect to in order to connect with any tools. The bit.io database name is formatted as username/dbname where dbname is the name you selected for your database. Note that some tools will not work correctly with a database name including a /. As such, you can use different separators: .,~,|,>, / are all valid. So if username/dbname doesn't work, you can try, for example, username.dbname or username~dbname.
• The Hostname: this is always db.bit.io.
• The Port: this is always 5432
• The Username: this is your chosen bit.io username, which you will enter into the "user" or "username" field of the tool you're connecting with.
• The Password is not your bit.io password: this password is for accessing your database via a tool with a PostgreSQL connection or via the bit.io API. When connecting to a bit.io database and entering your database credentials, this password, and not your bit.io login password, will go in that connection's "password" field.

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The Password in the Connect Tab Changes for Security Reasons

The password in the connect tab changes each time you refresh the page. This is because, in order to keep your data secure, we don't save the raw password string. The old passwords will still work; you do not need to change the password each time you want to access your database with a third party tool.

You can use the same method to connect to your own private databases, any databases that have been shared with you, and any public databases.

Example: Beekeeper Studio

The image below shows how the fields in the connect tab map onto the connection fields for Beekeeper Studio, a popular SQL client. Most other SQL clients are similar.

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Enable SSL

Regardless of which tool you're using to connect to bit.io, make sure to enable SSL or you will not be able to connect! The specific method for doing so varies from tool to tool. In Beekeeper studio, it's a simple toggle (see the above image). We've noted how to enable SSL in the specific connection pages for other tools.