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You can customize every prompt that the psql terminal client displays by editing a startup file and assigning values to PROMPT1, PROMPT2, and PROMPT3. A practical starting point is set PROMPT1 '%n@%/%R%# ', which shows the connected user, database, input state, and a privilege-sensitive prompt character. Add host, port, transaction, version, or carefully wrapped ANSI color codes only when that context helps you avoid mistakes.
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This guide explains the file locations, prompt substitutions, multiline behavior, color-safe syntax, version-specific configuration, and recovery procedure for a broken startup file.
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What the psqlrc file does
psql reads startup configuration before it begins accepting your normal commands. The system-wide psqlrc is read first, followed by your personal startup file. The personal file is read after the connection is established and before normal commands run. Prompt definitions placed there therefore become your defaults every time that client starts.
Using a startup file is preferable to retyping set commands in every session. It also makes your prompt reproducible: the same user/database indicator, transaction marker, and multiline behavior appear whenever that configuration is loaded.
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Bypass the file for one session
Pass -X when starting psql to bypass startup files. This is the quickest way to determine whether an error or an unreadable prompt is caused by your configuration rather than by the server or terminal.
psql -XA session started with -X uses the client without the system-wide or personal startup customizations. Once you have corrected the file, start psql normally again.
Where to put psqlrc
The filename and default location depend on the operating system. You can also point psql at another file with the PSQLRC environment variable.
| Environment | Default personal file | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Unix-like systems | ~/.psqlrc |
The normal per-user configuration for Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems. |
| Windows | %APPDATA%postgresqlpsqlrc.conf |
The per-user configuration read by the Windows client. |
| Any supported platform | Path supplied through PSQLRC |
Useful when you keep separate dotfiles, use a managed profile, or need a temporary configuration. |
| Version-specific client configuration | ~/.psqlrc-16 or ~/.psqlrc-16.15 |
Isolates settings for a major version or an exact client release. |
Version-specific names are useful when you maintain more than one psql client. A setting that is appropriate for one client version will not silently become the default for every other version when each version has its own file.
Create or edit the Unix-like file
- Open
~/.psqlrcin your preferred text editor. Create it if it does not exist. - Add one or more
setlines, keeping the prompt value inside single quotes. - Save the file and start a new
psqlsession. Startup files are read when the client starts, so an already-running session will not automatically reload edits.
Create or edit the Windows file
- Open
%APPDATA%postgresqlpsqlrc.confin a text editor. Create thepostgresqldirectory first if it is absent. - Add the same
set PROMPT1,set PROMPT2, andset PROMPT3lines used on Unix-like systems. - Restart
psqlto test the change. If you choose a different file, setPSQLRCto its full path before launching the client.
Set the three prompt variables
psql has three prompt variables, each for a different input state:
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| Variable | Displayed when | Example role |
|---|---|---|
PROMPT1 |
You are entering a normal command. | Show the user, database, input state, and privilege marker. |
PROMPT2 |
The current statement is incomplete. | Make it obvious that psql is waiting for more input. |
PROMPT3 |
You are entering data for COPY FROM STDIN. |
Use a short, unmistakable data-entry marker. |
Put all three definitions in the startup file so a long statement or a copy operation does not unexpectedly fall back to an unhelpful default.
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set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'In this baseline:
%ndisplays the connected database user.%/displays the current database name.%Rdisplays an input-state indicator.%#displays a privilege-sensitive prompt character.%winserts whitespace matching the visible width of the latestPROMPT1.
The aligned PROMPT2 keeps continuation input under the command text instead of starting at an unrelated column. The final space in each ordinary prompt is intentional: it separates the marker from the SQL you type.
Understand the prompt substitutions
Prompt substitutions are interpreted by psql when it renders the prompt. Choose only the information that helps you identify where a command will run.
| Substitution | What it shows | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
%n |
Connected database user | Distinguishes roles when you use more than one login. |
%/ |
Database name | Prevents running a command in the wrong database. |
%R |
Input-state indicator | Shows normal input or why a statement is waiting for completion. |
%# |
Privilege-sensitive prompt character | Provides a visual distinction based on the connected role’s privileges. |
%M |
Full host name | Identifies the complete server host when several environments are open. |
%m |
Truncated host name | Adds server context without making the line as wide as the full name. |
%p |
Server port | Separates installations that use different ports. |
%x |
Transaction status | Highlights whether a transaction is active or otherwise has a notable state. |
%l |
Statement line number | Helps orient you while entering a multiline statement. |
%:name: |
Value of a psql variable named name |
Includes a value you have defined in the client session. |
%% |
A literal percent sign | Prints % instead of starting a substitution. |
| Backtick command substitution | Output from a command substitution | Adds dynamic context, but can make a prompt slower or harder to scan if overused. |
Start with user and database. Add host, port, or transaction state only when those distinctions prevent an actual error. A prompt that fills the entire terminal width can be less useful than a short prompt whose important fields are immediately visible.
A compact context-rich prompt
set PROMPT1 '%n@%M:%p/%R%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'This places the user before the host and port, then the database and state marker. The full host is explicit, while the continuation prompt retains the width of the first prompt.
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A shorter remote-session prompt
set PROMPT1 '%n@%m/%R%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'Use %m when the full host name is too wide but a truncated host still differentiates your environments.
Make incomplete statements easy to diagnose
PROMPT2 is not merely a second copy of PROMPT1. The %R substitution changes to indicate why psql is waiting. Depending on what you have typed, it can identify an unterminated command, block comment, quoted string or identifier, dollar-quoted string, or unmatched parenthesis.
For example, after entering a statement that has not yet received its terminating semicolon, the continuation prompt tells you that the client is still collecting input. If you accidentally leave a quote or parenthesis open, the state indicator gives you a clue instead of making the new line look like an ordinary prompt.
set PROMPT1 '%n@%/%R%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'Do not replace PROMPT2 with a fixed symbol if you rely on these diagnostics. A plain ... is shorter, but it hides the distinction between different incomplete-input states.
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Keep COPY input unmistakable with PROMPT3
When you run COPY ... FROM STDIN, psql switches to its data-entry prompt. Set PROMPT3 to a marker that cannot be confused with a normal SQL prompt:
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set PROMPT3 '>> 'In the PROMPT3 state, %R produces no text, so adding it does not provide the same incomplete-command information it does in PROMPT1 or PROMPT2. A concise marker makes it clear that lines are being treated as copy data until the copy terminator is entered.
Add ANSI color without breaking Readline
Color can make a production connection stand out, but terminal control bytes are not visible characters. GNU Readline and similar line editors must be told which parts occupy no screen columns; otherwise the cursor can jump to the wrong position, and editing a long command becomes unreliable.
Wrap non-printing ANSI sequences in %[ and %]. PostgreSQL’s documented bold yellow-on-black example is:
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set PROMPT1 '%[%033[1;33;40m%]%n@%/%R%[%033[0m%]%# 'The first sequence enables bold yellow text on a black background. The second resets terminal attributes before the privilege marker and the SQL input. The %[ and %] delimiters tell Readline not to count those bytes as visible prompt width.
What the colored example displays
- The user, database, and input-state portion is colored.
- The reset sequence returns the terminal to its normal attributes.
- The visible prompt character remains outside the colored span.
- Readline receives accurate width information for cursor movement and editing.
Color depends on a terminal that supports the ANSI sequences. If the result is unreadable, remove the color codes first and verify the plain prompt. A plain prompt is preferable to a colored prompt that causes cursor misalignment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a prompt design by trade-off
| Design | Information density | Readability | Multiline behavior | Portability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User and database only | Low; shows the two most important identity fields. | Highest in narrow terminals. | Good when paired with a state-aware PROMPT2. |
Works across Unix-like systems and Windows. |
| User, database, host, and port | High; separates remote and local servers. | Can become wide with long host names. | Good if %w%R%# is retained in PROMPT2. |
Uses documented substitutions available to the client. |
| Plain text with transaction state | Medium; adds session context without terminal control codes. | Consistent in logs and basic terminals. | Preserves diagnostic %R markers. |
Most portable because it needs no ANSI support. |
| ANSI-colored prompt | Whatever fields you include, with visual emphasis. | Fast to scan when colors are supported and correctly wrapped. | Requires matching non-printing delimiters in each colored prompt. | Depends on terminal color support and correct Readline handling. |
There is no benefit in displaying every available substitution at once. Pick a prompt that answers your immediate question—who am I connected as, where am I connected, and am I in a transaction—without making SQL editing cumbersome.
Use version-specific files safely
A shared ~/.psqlrc is convenient when all your clients should behave identically. Separate files such as ~/.psqlrc-16 or ~/.psqlrc-16.15 are safer when you need to isolate client settings by major version or exact release.
When isolation helps
- You are testing a new client while retaining an older client for established workflows.
- You want to change escape sequences or defaults for one release without changing another.
- You maintain a dotfile repository that is deployed to several machines with different PostgreSQL client versions.
Keep the version suffix tied to the client version you intend to run, and test each file with that client. This prevents assumptions about prompt behavior from leaking into sessions that use another version.
Test changes incrementally
- Start with
PROMPT1,PROMPT2, andPROMPT3from the baseline example. - Open a new
psqlsession and confirm the user, database, and prompt character are correct. - Enter an intentionally incomplete statement, such as an opening parenthesis or quote, and check that
PROMPT2appears with a useful state indicator. - Run a small
COPY FROM STDINoperation when appropriate for your workflow and confirm thatPROMPT3is visibly different. - Add one optional substitution—host, port, transaction status, or line number—then restart and verify its output.
- Add color last. If editing becomes erratic, remove the color layer and return to the last working plain-text version.
Changing one element at a time makes a malformed quote, unsupported escape, or incorrect color delimiter easy to locate.
Troubleshoot a broken or confusing prompt
| Symptom | Likely cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
psql reports an error while starting. |
A syntax error in the startup file, often an unmatched quote or malformed set line. |
Start with psql -X, edit the file, and restore the smallest known-good prompt definitions before adding options again. |
| The old prompt remains after editing. | The current client was started before the file was changed, or a different file is being read. | Exit and restart psql; then verify the platform path, PSQLRC, and any version-specific filename. |
| The continuation prompt is far to the left or right. | PROMPT2 does not use the width-matching %w substitution, or visible and non-visible characters are miscounted. |
Use set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '. If color is present, wrap every non-printing sequence in %[ and %]. |
| Cursor movement breaks after adding color. | Readline is counting ANSI control bytes as visible characters. | Restore the plain prompt, then add the documented delimiters around the color sequences. |
| You cannot tell whether input is SQL or COPY data. | PROMPT3 is identical to a normal prompt or too subtle to notice. |
Set it to a short marker such as >> and keep it visually distinct. |
| The prompt is too wide to scan. | Too many substitutions, a full host name, or command substitution make each line noisy. | Remove optional fields, use %m instead of %M, and reserve dynamic substitutions for information you actually use. |
Complete configurations to copy
Minimal, portable configuration
set PROMPT1 '%n@%/%R%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'This is the best starting point when you work across operating systems or terminal types. It provides identity, database, input state, privilege marker, aligned continuation lines, and a distinct COPY prompt without terminal-specific color.
Remote-environment configuration
set PROMPT1 '%n@%M:%p/%R%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'Use this when the host and port are essential to distinguish servers. Replace %M with %m if full host names make the prompt too long.
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set PROMPT1 '%[%033[1;33;40m%]%n@%/%R%[%033[0m%]%# '
set PROMPT2 '%w%R%# '
set PROMPT3 '>> 'This follows the documented ANSI pattern. Keep the continuation and COPY prompts plain unless you have a specific reason to color them; fewer control sequences mean fewer opportunities for width and readability problems.
Quick Recap
A practical checklist
- Use
~/.psqlrcon Unix-like systems or%APPDATA%postgresqlpsqlrc.confon Windows. - Set all three variables:
PROMPT1,PROMPT2, andPROMPT3. - Include
%Rwhere you want input-state diagnostics. - Include
%winPROMPT2to align continuation input withPROMPT1. - Add host, port, transaction, line, or version context only when it improves a real decision.
- Wrap ANSI control bytes in
%[and%]so Readline counts visible width correctly. - Use
psql -Xto recover from a startup error and test fixes incrementally. - Consider version-specific files when multiple client versions share the same machine.
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