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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo move a SQLite database into Turso Cloud, prepare a consistent copy of the database file, import it with the Turso CLI, then verify the imported schema and data before switching your application over. Turso’s published instructions recommend putting the source in WAL mode and truncating its write-ahead log before import.
Before you import: make a consistent copy
Keep the original database unchanged so you have a recovery point. Coordinate the migration with the application’s write activity: pause writes or otherwise ensure the copy you prepare contains the intended final data. This is operational guidance; the documented WAL steps do not replace planning for writes that occur during a migration.
Prepare the SQLite file
Turso’s April 2025 instructions use the SQLite command-line shell to enable WAL mode and checkpoint the log. Replace the path below with the source database file:
sqlite3 /path/to/my-database.dbAt the SQLite prompt, run:
PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;
PRAGMA wal_checkpoint(TRUNCATE);
PRAGMA journal_mode;Check the result of the last command, then exit the shell with .quit. Keep the prepared database file available for the import.
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Import the file into Turso Cloud
For an operator-run import, use the Turso CLI:
turso db import /path/to/my-database.dbThe documented behavior is to create a cloud database named after the file, without the .db extension, and import its schema, tables, and data. To import into an existing group instead, specify the group:
turso db import --group <group_name> /path/to/my-database.dbConfirm the CLI is installed and authenticated for the intended Turso account, and check the current CLI documentation for supported flags before running the command: its README and command details can change.
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Verify the import before switching applications
Open the new database with the Turso shell, substituting its name for <database-name>:
turso db shell <database-name>Inspect the imported schema and compare expected table and index presence, row counts, and selected records for important tables. Then run the application’s critical reads and writes against the imported database in staging or another controlled environment. These checks are operational validation steps; the import command itself does not establish that every application-specific behavior has been verified.
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- Inventory any custom SQLite extensions, virtual tables, functions, triggers, or other application assumptions.
- Test the workload that depends on those features. The published import material does not establish compatibility with every SQLite feature.
- Keep the source available for rollback until the new connection has been checked in the environment where it will be used.
Update the application connection
After validation, update the application to use the new database’s connection details and an authentication token, following the current Turso instructions for the SDK in use. Deploy the configuration change only when you are ready to direct application traffic to the imported database.
Automate the upload with the Platform API
For a programmatic workflow, Turso’s April 2025 announcement describes creating a database with seed type database_upload, creating a database authentication token, and uploading the SQLite file to that database’s upload endpoint. The announcement described uploads up to 20 GB at that time. Treat that figure as a historical published limit, not a current guarantee: verify current account, region, API, and size requirements before designing around it.
Choose the CLI or API route
| Route | Best fit | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| CLI import | An operator-run migration using a prepared database file. | Confirm the destination database or group, CLI authentication, and current command options. |
| Platform API upload | A migration integrated into an automated provisioning or deployment workflow. | Plan database creation, token handling, upload endpoint access, and current size and region constraints. The April 2025 announcement’s 20 GB figure is historical, not a verified current limit. |
Neither route is universally preferable: the right choice depends on how the migration is provisioned, automated, secured, and validated.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Local development is a different workflow
If you only want to open an existing SQLite file in a local Turso development setup, Turso’s local-development documentation describes local database packages that open existing SQLite files. It also documents restoring a production dump into a local database with:
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turso db shell your-database .dump > dump.sql
cat dump.sql | sqlite3 local.dbThis creates or populates a local database; it does not by itself migrate the data to a hosted Turso Cloud database.
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