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Three ways to list PostgreSQL databases
PostgreSQL stores databases at the cluster level, so you can inspect the complete set without opening each database individually. The right command depends on where you are working and how much control you need over the output.
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| Method | Best use | What it provides | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
l or list |
Interactive inspection in an existing psql session |
A readable table with names, owners, encodings, and access privileges; optional pattern filtering | An active psql connection |
l+ |
Interactive inspection with additional database metadata | The l columns plus sizes, default tablespaces, and descriptions when size visibility is permitted |
An active psql connection and appropriate visibility privileges for sizes |
psql -l or psql --list |
A one-shot shell command or a script step | Lists databases, then exits; accepts the normal host, port, user, and database connection options | The psql client and working connection parameters |
SQL on pg_database |
Automation, custom reports, or precise predicates | Only the columns, filters, and ordering you request | A connection and an SQL execution context |
All four routes use PostgreSQL’s built-in client and catalog facilities; no extension is required.
Before you run a command: identify the connection context
A database list comes from a PostgreSQL server, not from the client program alone. Before troubleshooting output, establish which server, port, user, and target database the command will use.
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- Host:
-hselects a server hostname or address. - Port:
-pselects the PostgreSQL listening port. - User:
-Uselects the database role used for authentication. - Database:
-dselects the database to whichpsqlinitially connects.
If you omit the host, psql uses a local Unix-domain socket on systems that provide one; on Windows, the documented default is local host behavior. If you omit the user, the operating-system user name is used as the default database user. Those defaults are convenient for local administration but frequently point at a different instance than the one you intended, especially on a workstation running several PostgreSQL versions or on a machine with multiple service accounts.
The database used to establish the session is not a restriction on the catalog query: PostgreSQL’s pg_database catalog describes the databases in the cluster. For the shell listing option, psql connects to the postgres database unless you provide another database with -d or as a positional database argument.
List databases inside an interactive psql session
Use the short meta-command
Start psql with your normal connection settings. At the psql prompt, enter:
lThe command prints the databases visible to that session in a table. The standard columns include each database name, its owner, its character-set encoding, and its access privileges. This is a psql meta-command, so it begins with a backslash and is interpreted by the client rather than sent to the server as SQL.
Use the long spelling
list is the equivalent long form:
listChoose whichever spelling is easier for your team to recognize in runbooks. They perform the same listing operation and accept the same pattern argument.
Filter database names with a psql pattern
Append a pattern when you only want names that match a naming convention:
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l myapp*The pattern is interpreted using psql‘s pattern rules, not as a SQL LIKE expression. If you invoke psql through a shell command or script, quote the pattern at the shell level when necessary so the shell does not expand a wildcard before psql receives it. Inside an already running psql session, enter the pattern directly after the meta-command.
A pattern is useful when a cluster contains many tenant, test, or environment databases. It keeps the interactive result focused without changing server state or requiring a separate query.
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Show sizes and descriptions with l+
Add a plus sign to request the expanded database listing:
l+The expanded display adds each database’s size, default tablespace, and description. It is the practical choice when you are investigating storage or checking whether databases are assigned to an unexpected tablespace.
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Size information has a documented visibility condition. You can see it when the current role has CONNECT privilege on the database, is a superuser, or has the pg_read_all_stats role. A role may therefore see database names while receiving blank or unavailable size values. That result indicates a permission or statistics-visibility boundary; it does not mean the database disappeared.
Use the same pattern form with the expanded command when you need a filtered, detailed view:
l+ myapp*If names appear but the added fields do not, compare the role used for the session with the visibility conditions above before changing the query.
List databases directly from the operating-system shell
Run the one-shot option
At a shell prompt, use:
psql -lThe documented long spelling is:
psql --listBoth options list all available databases and then exit. They are the shell equivalent of the interactive listing command, so they are convenient for a quick check, a deployment step, or a script that should not leave an interactive session running.
Make the connection explicit
When the local defaults are not the server you want, provide the connection switches:
psql -h db.example.com -p 5432 -U report_user -lHere, -h selects the host, -p the port, and -U the role. You can also specify the initial database explicitly:
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psql -d postgres -lThe -d value is the database used to establish the session before the listing is requested. A positional database name is another supported way to provide that target.
Use a connection URI when that fits your environment
psql accepts a PostgreSQL connection URI as the positional connection parameter:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchpsql postgresql://[email protected]/postgres -lThe URI identifies the role, host, and initial database in one argument. Keep credentials out of shell history and process listings; use the authentication mechanism approved for your environment rather than placing a password directly in a command line.
Understand what a shell failure means
If the server cannot be reached, authentication is rejected, or the role cannot establish a usable connection, psql reports the connection error and terminates. The listing operation has not partially succeeded in that situation. Correct the connection target or credentials first, then rerun the command.
Use SQL when you need a controllable result
The canonical catalog query
Connect to any database and execute:
SELECT datname
FROM pg_database
ORDER BY datname;The essential catalog query is SELECT datname FROM pg_database;. The ORDER BY datname clause makes the result deterministic, which is preferable for human review and for scripts that compare output over time.
pg_database is a cluster-level catalog. It reports database names from the PostgreSQL cluster rather than only schemas or tables belonging to the database where your session currently resides. Consequently, switching the initial connection database does not turn this query into a per-database object listing.
Include whether connections are allowed
To identify databases that have been disabled for new connections, include the catalog’s allow-connection flag:
SELECT datname, datallowconn
FROM pg_database
ORDER BY datname;The boolean value lets an operator distinguish a normal connectable database from one intentionally marked as unavailable for new sessions.
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Filter with ordinary SQL
For a SQL pattern filter, use a WHERE clause:
SELECT datname
FROM pg_database
WHERE datname LIKE 'app_%'
ORDER BY datname;This filter uses SQL’s LIKE semantics, including its treatment of the underscore and percent characters. It is separate from the pattern syntax accepted by the l meta-command, so do not assume that a pattern copied between the two forms has identical wildcard behavior.
Why SQL is usually the automation choice
SQL lets you select exactly the columns a report needs, add predicates, and impose an ordering that remains stable. A script can therefore consume a small, purpose-built result instead of parsing the human-oriented table produced by a meta-command. Use the interactive commands when a person is inspecting a server; use the catalog query when the output is an input to another process.
Choosing the right command for the task
Use l when you are already connected
If a troubleshooting or administration session is open in psql, l is the shortest path to a readable overview. Add a pattern when the cluster contains many similarly named databases. Use l+ instead when size, tablespace, or description information is part of the question and your role can see those fields.
Use psql -l for a one-time shell check
The shell option avoids entering an interactive session and exits immediately after printing the list. It is useful in a terminal checklist or a script that only needs to verify which databases are available. Supply -h, -p, -U, and -d whenever relying on implicit defaults could target the wrong instance.
Use pg_database for reports and scripts
The SQL route is the most adaptable when you need a custom column set, a naming rule, an explicit sort order, or a check such as datallowconn. It also avoids parsing presentation-oriented output. Remember that the query still requires a successful connection before it can run.
Troubleshooting common failures
psql: command not found
The PostgreSQL client is not installed or its executable is not on the shell’s PATH. Install the client package appropriate to your operating system, then verify the installation with:
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Connection refused, timeout, or “could not connect”
Confirm that the server is running and accepting connections, then make the target explicit:
psql -h db.example.com -p 5432 -U report_user -d postgres -lCheck the hostname, port, firewall or network route, and the server’s listening configuration. A client that points at the wrong host can produce the same symptom as a stopped server, so verify the endpoint independently.
Password prompt or authentication failure
A password prompt is normal when the server’s authentication policy requires one. An authentication error means the supplied role or credential was rejected. Use the administrator-approved PostgreSQL authentication mechanism, such as the environment’s password file or interactive prompt, and avoid embedding passwords in shell history, scripts, or process arguments.
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The list contains unexpected databases
Recheck the connection context. The command may have used a local socket, the operating-system user as the database role, or the default port instead of the intended remote instance. Repeat the command with explicit -h, -p, -U, and -d values so the result can be tied to a known server and role.
Names appear, but l+ sizes are blank or unavailable
Database-name visibility and size visibility are not identical. For sizes, the current role must have CONNECT on the database, be a superuser, or hold pg_read_all_stats. Ask an administrator to confirm the role’s privileges if storage information is required; do not infer that a missing size means the database itself is absent.
The SQL query appears to show only one database
Check that you executed the cluster catalog query rather than a query against tables in the current database:
SELECT datname
FROM pg_database
ORDER BY datname;Also verify that the session connected to the PostgreSQL cluster you intended. The catalog query returns the names associated with that cluster, so a session aimed at a different server naturally produces a different list.
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First test the unfiltered listing, then examine the pattern syntax. A l filter follows psql pattern rules, while a SQL filter follows LIKE rules. In a shell script, protect wildcard characters from shell expansion before they reach psql. Finally, check spelling, case, and the naming convention used by the databases.
Operational and security considerations
Do not confuse listing with authorization
Seeing a database name does not grant permission to connect to it or to read its contents. The listing describes what the connected role can discover through the client and catalog; access to a particular database and its objects is governed separately by PostgreSQL privileges.
Keep scripts deterministic
When another program consumes the result, include an explicit ORDER BY in the SQL query. Stable ordering prevents harmless catalog-order changes from appearing as additions or removals in generated reports. If you use the shell listing option for a human-facing log, record the explicit connection parameters alongside the command so the source instance is clear.
Use the least exposure needed
For a quick inventory, the names from l or SELECT datname ... may be sufficient. Request expanded details only when sizes, tablespaces, or descriptions answer a real operational question. Grant the additional statistics visibility required for l+ deliberately, rather than broadening privileges simply to make a display complete.
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- Already at a
psqlprompt? Enterl. Add a name pattern if you need to narrow the display. - Need sizes, tablespaces, or descriptions? Use
l+and confirm that your role has the documented size visibility. - Working from a shell or script? Run
psql -lorpsql --list, supplying explicit connection switches when defaults are uncertain. - Need custom columns, filtering, or stable machine-readable logic? Execute an ordered query against
pg_database. - Any connection error? Fix the client installation, endpoint, port, authentication, or role permissions before interpreting the database list.
For most interactive administration, l is the fastest answer. For a single terminal command, psql -l is the cleanest option. For repeatable automation, query pg_database and define the exact result your process needs.
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