prisma-compute

Prisma Compute

Guide agents through Prisma Compute app creation, deployment, operations, and framework-specific deploy readiness.

Critical: Verify the Current Surface

Prisma Compute is actively moving into the Prisma Platform CLI. Before giving commands or editing a project, verify the local/current command surface:

bunx @prisma/cli@latest app deploy --help
bunx @prisma/cli@latest app --help
bunx create-prisma@latest --help

Use @prisma/cli@latest for Compute app deployment unless current help output shows the command has moved. Use create-prisma@latest for new-project scaffolding after verifying --deploy appears in create-prisma@latest --help.

For a compact agent-readable summary, run:

node prisma-compute/scripts/verify-compute-surface.mjs

Set PRISMA_COMPUTE_RUNNER=bunx to use bunx instead of npx.

Source-of-Truth Order

Prefer evidence that matches the user's project and installed tooling:

1. The project's generated scripts and config, especially compute:deploy, prisma.app.json, framework config, and package.json.
2. Current CLI help output from create-prisma and @prisma/cli.
3. Local installed package code, generated artifacts, and type definitions.
4. Official docs or launch notes, especially after Compute is public.

If these disagree, trust the more local/current source and explain the mismatch briefly.

When to Apply

Use this skill for:

• Creating a new app that can deploy to Prisma Compute
• Deploying an existing TypeScript app to Prisma Compute
• Deciding whether a framework is Compute-ready
• Debugging create-prisma --deploy, compute:deploy, or app deploy
• Managing Compute app logs, deployments, environment variables, branches, and domains
• Running non-interactive deploys with browser auth or Prisma service tokens
• Programmatic deployments with @prisma/compute-sdk or Management API integrations

Decision Tree

1. Existing project deployment or redeploy: Read references/app-deploy-cli.md.

2. Framework-specific build/runtime work: Read references/frameworks.md.

3. New project from a scaffold: Read references/create-prisma.md.

4. Programmatic deployment, SDKs, APIs, or low-level service/version concepts: Read references/sdk-api.md.

5. Build, auth, env, deploy, or runtime failures: Read references/troubleshooting.md.

Rules by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Command verification	CRITICAL	verify-
2	Framework readiness	CRITICAL	framework-
3	Runtime host and port binding	CRITICAL	runtime-
4	Branch, environment, and database wiring	HIGH	env-
5	Deploy operations	HIGH	deploy-
6	SDK and API automation	MEDIUM	sdk-

Quick Rules

1. Command Verification

• verify-help-first - Run current help output before assuming package names or flags.
• verify-helper-script - Use scripts/verify-compute-surface.mjs for a compact current CLI summary when available.
• verify-prisma-vs-platform-cli - Do not assume prisma app deploy exists in the ORM CLI; check whether the task should use @prisma/cli.
• verify-generated-scripts - Prefer the generated compute:deploy script when a project already has one.
• verify-public-url - After a real deploy, smoke-test the public deployment URL instead of trusting local or readiness-only checks.

2. Framework Readiness

• framework-cli-first - Evaluate deploy readiness against current @prisma/cli app deploy, not against what create-prisma can scaffold.
• framework-supported-cli-deploy - Current CLI deploy framework keys are nextjs, hono, tanstack-start, and bun; verify help/source before using any other key.
• framework-create-prisma-defaults-only - create-prisma can provide generated defaults and compute:deploy, but it is not the general deploy surface for existing apps.
• framework-build-output - Compute needs a server entrypoint or framework artifact, not only static output.

3. Runtime Host and Port Binding

• runtime-bind-all-interfaces - Deployed servers must bind on all interfaces (0.0.0.0 or the framework equivalent), not hard-coded localhost or 127.0.0.1.
• runtime-match-http-port - The app must listen on the deployed HTTP port: read process.env.PORT when possible, or pass the matching --http-port.
• runtime-readiness-port-only - Compute readiness watches listening ports; a loopback-only listener can look ready while public ingress cannot reach it.

4. Branch, Environment, and Database

• env-do-not-leak-secrets - Never print full DATABASE_URL, service tokens, or secret values.
• env-deploy-loads-dotenv - The generated deploy script passes --env .env; ensure production values are present before deploy.
• env-migrations-separate - Redeploy scripts do not run migrations or seed data. Run the appropriate Prisma database scripts separately.
• env-cli-token-name - Current @prisma/cli uses PRISMA_SERVICE_TOKEN for service-token auth; older Compute CLI and SDK examples may use PRISMA_API_TOKEN.
• env-branch-scope - Branch deploys, branch env vars, and branch databases must use the same branch name; pass --branch <git-name> explicitly when targeting a preview branch.
• env-production-vs-preview - Use --role production for production env, --role preview for preview template env, and --branch <git-name> for branch-specific overrides.

5. Deploy Operations

• deploy-prod-intent - Use --prod --yes only when the user intends a production deploy.
• deploy-noninteractive-auth - Non-interactive deploys need either stored CLI login or a supported service token env var; never print the token.
• deploy-json-for-agents - Use --json --no-interactive for scripts and agent-readable output.

6. SDK and API

• sdk-use-cli-first - Prefer @prisma/cli app deploy for app workflows; use create-prisma only to scaffold a new app unless the user is building lower-level automation.
• sdk-result-handling - @prisma/compute-sdk returns Result values; check isOk()/isErr() instead of relying on exceptions.

Preferred Workflow

1. Inspect the project: package manager, template/framework, package.json scripts, Prisma version, Prisma client location, and existing compute:deploy.
2. Verify CLI help output for the package actually being used, or run scripts/verify-compute-surface.mjs for the standard Compute surface check.
3. Choose the path:
   • existing app deploy: generated compute:deploy or @prisma/cli app build/run/deploy
   • new app scaffold: create-prisma, then generated compute:deploy or @prisma/cli app deploy
   • low-level automation: @prisma/compute-sdk or Management API
4. Check framework readiness plus host/port/env/runtime requirements, including project and branch scope.
5. Run a local build or app build before deploying when feasible.
6. Deploy with JSON output when automating, then smoke-test the public URL and summarize app URL, app id, deployment id, project id, and follow-up steps.

Avoid

• Do not bury Compute deployment guidance in the generic prisma-cli skill.
• Do not run create-prisma inside an existing app just to deploy it; use the generated compute:deploy script or @prisma/cli app deploy.
• Do not tell users that every create-prisma template can auto-deploy.
• Do not deploy with placeholder DATABASE_URL values.
• Do not assume next start is the Compute runtime path; Next.js deploys need standalone output.
• Do not expose secret values from .env, CLI output, Management API responses, or logs.