Add official Railway database services (Postgres, Redis, MySQL, MongoDB). Use when user wants to add a database, says "add postgres", "add redis", "add database", "connect to database", or "wire up the database". For other templates (Ghost, Strapi, n8n), use the railway-templates skill.
npxskills add davila7/claude-code-templates--skill railway-databaseLoading…
Add official Railway database services. These are maintained templates with pre-configured volumes, networking, and connection variables.
For non-database templates, see the railway-templates skill.
ALWAYS check for existing databases FIRST before creating.
User mentions database
│
Check existing DBs first
(query env config for source.image)
│
┌────┴────┐
Exists Doesn't exist
│ │
│ Create database
│ (CLI or API)
│ │
│ Wait for deployment
│ │
└─────┬─────┘
│
User wants to
connect service?
│
┌─────┴─────┐
Yes No
│ │
Wire vars Done +
via env suggest wiring
skill
Before creating a database, check if one already exists.
For full environment config structure, see environment-config.md.
railway status --json
Then query environment config and check source.image for each service:
query environmentConfig($environmentId: String!) {
environment(id: $environmentId) {
config(decryptVariables: false)
}
}
The config.services object contains each service's configuration. Check source.image for:
ghcr.io/railway/postgres* or postgres:* → Postgresghcr.io/railway/redis* or redis:* → Redisghcr.io/railway/mysql* or mysql:* → MySQLghcr.io/railway/mongo* or mongo:* → MongoDB| Database | Template Code |
|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | postgres |
| Redis | redis |
| MySQL | mysql |
| MongoDB | mongodb |
Get project context:
railway status --json
Extract:
id - project IDenvironments.edges[0].node.id - environment IDGet workspace ID (not in status output):
bash <<'SCRIPT'
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'query getWorkspace($projectId: String!) {
project(id: $projectId) { workspaceId }
}' \
'{"projectId": "PROJECT_ID"}'
SCRIPT
bash <<'SCRIPT'
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'query template($code: String!) {
template(code: $code) {
id
name
serializedConfig
}
}' \
'{"code": "postgres"}'
SCRIPT
This returns the template's id and serializedConfig needed for deployment.
bash <<'SCRIPT'
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'mutation deployTemplate($input: TemplateDeployV2Input!) {
templateDeployV2(input: $input) {
projectId
workflowId
}
}' \
'{
"input": {
"templateId": "TEMPLATE_ID",
"serializedConfig": SERIALIZED_CONFIG,
"projectId": "PROJECT_ID",
"environmentId": "ENVIRONMENT_ID",
"workspaceId": "WORKSPACE_ID"
}
}'
SCRIPT
Important: serializedConfig is the exact object from the template query, not a string.
After deployment, other services connect using reference variables.
For complete variable reference syntax and wiring patterns, see variables.md.
Use the private/internal URL for server-to-server communication:
| Database | Variable Reference |
|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | ${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}} |
| Redis | ${{Redis.REDIS_URL}} |
| MySQL | ${{MySQL.MYSQL_URL}} |
| MongoDB | ${{MongoDB.MONGO_URL}} |
Important: Frontends run in the user's browser and cannot access Railway's private network. They must use public URLs or go through a backend API.
For direct database access from frontend (not recommended):
${{MongoDB.MONGO_PUBLIC_URL}})Better pattern: Frontend → Backend API → Database
bash <<'SCRIPT'
# 1. Get context
railway status --json
# Extract project.id and environment.id
# 2. Get workspace ID
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'query { project(id: "proj-id") { workspaceId } }' '{}'
# 3. Fetch Postgres template
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'query { template(code: "postgres") { id serializedConfig } }' '{}'
# 4. Deploy template
${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/lib/railway-api.sh \
'mutation deploy($input: TemplateDeployV2Input!) {
templateDeployV2(input: $input) { projectId workflowId }
}' \
'{"input": {"templateId": "...", "serializedConfig": {...}, "projectId": "...", "environmentId": "...", "workspaceId": "..."}}'
SCRIPT
Use railway-environment skill to add the variable reference:
{
"services": {
"<backend-service-id>": {
"variables": {
"DATABASE_URL": { "value": "${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}" }
}
}
}
}
Successful deployment returns:
{
"data": {
"templateDeployV2": {
"projectId": "e63baedb-e308-49e9-8c06-c25336f861c7",
"workflowId": "deployTemplate/project/e63baedb-e308-49e9-8c06-c25336f861c7/xxx"
}
}
}
Each database template creates:
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Template not found | Invalid template code | Use: postgres, redis, mysql, mongodb |
| Permission denied | User lacks access | Need DEVELOPER role or higher |
| Project not found | Invalid project ID | Run railway status --json for correct ID |
railway-environment skill to stage: DATABASE_URL: { "value": "${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}" }DATABASE_URL=${{Postgres.DATABASE_URL}}"railway-environment skill to add variable referencesrailway-service skillrailway-deployment skill
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).