CREATEDB(1)

💅 CREATEDB(1) — the glow-up ✨

okay so this is the createdb page from the PostgreSQL 13.23 Documentation bestie, and it's literally your little helper for making brand-new databases. let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

createdb — create a new PostgreSQL database. that's it. that's the vibe. 👑

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

createdb [connection-option...] [option...] [dbname [description]]

like, options first, then the name, then a lil comment if you're feeling generous 💖

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

createdb creates a new PostgreSQL database. slay, that's the whole thing.

Normally, the database user who executes this command becomes the owner of the new database — main character energy, the creator is the owner, periodt. However, a different owner can be specified via the -O option, if the executing user has appropriate privileges. so you can hand off ownership, but only if you have the power. iykyk 💅

createdb is a wrapper around the SQL command CREATE DATABASE (CREATE_DATABASE(7)). There is no effective difference between creating databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server. no cap, it's the same thing wearing a different outfit ✨

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🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

createdb accepts the following command-line arguments:

• dbname — Specifies the name of the database to be created. The name must be unique among all PostgreSQL databases in this cluster (no duplicates bestie, it's giving exclusive 😭). The default is to create a database with the same name as the current system user.
• description — Specifies a comment to be associated with the newly created database. a lil annotation. a sticky note. we love context 🍓
• -D tablespace, --tablespace=tablespace — Specifies the default tablespace for the database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) — that parenthetical is important, don't skip it 🔥
• -e, --echo — Echo the commands that createdb generates and sends to the server. so you can see exactly what it's doing behind the scenes. transparency king 👑
• -E encoding, --encoding=encoding — Specifies the character encoding scheme to be used in this database. The character sets supported by the PostgreSQL server are described in Section 23.3.1. (yes, that section. go read it, i'll wait 💜)
• -l locale, --locale=locale — Specifies the locale to be used in this database. This is equivalent to specifying both --lc-collate and --lc-ctype. two birds, one flag 🦋
• --lc-collate=locale — Specifies the LC_COLLATE setting to be used in this database.
• --lc-ctype=locale — Specifies the LC_CTYPE setting to be used in this database.
• -O owner, --owner=owner — Specifies the database user who will own the new database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) again with the double-quoted identifier thing, noted 📝
• -T template, --template=template — Specifies the template database from which to build this database. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.) yes, also an identifier. they're all identifiers. it's a whole thing 🧚
• -V, --version — Print the createdb version and exit. short and sweet 💫
• -?, --help — Show help about createdb command line arguments, and exit. when in doubt, ask for help 🫶

The options -D, -l, -E, -O, and -T correspond to options of the underlying SQL command CREATE DATABASE (CREATE_DATABASE(7)); see there for more information about them. like they're literally the same options in a trench coat 💅

createdb also accepts the following command-line arguments for connection parameters:

• -h host, --host=host — Specifies the host name of the machine on which the server is running. If the value begins with a slash, it is used as the directory for the Unix domain socket. (slash = socket directory, that's the rule ⭐)
• -p port, --port=port — Specifies the TCP port or the local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections.
• -U username, --username=username — User name to connect as. who are you today? 🌈
• -w, --no-password — Never issue a password prompt. If the server requires password authentication and a password is not available by other means such as a .pgpass file, the connection attempt will fail. This option can be useful in batch jobs and scripts where no user is present to enter a password. no human, no prompt, no drama 🎀
• -W, --password — Force createdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.

This option is never essential, since createdb will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentication. However, createdb will waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a password. In some cases it is worth typing -W to avoid the extra connection attempt. literally just saving yourself one (1) awkward round trip 😭

• --maintenance-db=dbname — Specifies the name of the database to connect to when creating the new database. If not specified, the postgres database will be used; if that does not exist (or if it is the name of the new database being created), template1 will be used. This can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options. ⚠️ read that last sentence twice bestie — connection string wins the argument 💀

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🧚 ENVIRONMENT 🧚

• PGDATABASE — If set, the name of the database to create, unless overridden on the command line. it's the default, not the boss 💅
• PGHOST, PGPORT, PGUSER — Default connection parameters. PGUSER also determines the name of the database to create, if it is not specified on the command line or by PGDATABASE. so PGUSER is doing double duty, iconic 👑
• PG_COLOR — Specifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are always, auto and never. make your errors pretty (or don't, no pressure) 🎨

This utility, like most other PostgreSQL utilities, also uses the environment variables supported by libpq (see Section 33.14). so many env vars, so little time 🦋

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💀 DIAGNOSTICS 💀

In case of difficulty, see CREATE DATABASE (CREATE_DATABASE(7)) and psql(1) for discussions of potential problems and error messages. The database server must be running at the targeted host — like, it has to actually be up, bestie, that's non-negotiable 😭. Also, any default connection settings and environment variables used by the libpq front-end library will apply. so if something's weird, check your env first, fr fr 🔍

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🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

To create the database demo using the default database server:

$ createdb demo

To create the database demo using the server on host eden, port 5000, using the template0 template database, here is the command-line command and the underlying SQL command:

$ createdb -p 5000 -h eden -T template0 -e demo
CREATE DATABASE demo TEMPLATE template0;

see how -e showed you the SQL? that's the echo option earning its keep ✨

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

dropdb(1), CREATE DATABASE (CREATE_DATABASE(7)) — creation's counterpart and the real SQL underneath. go peek 👀

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okay that's the whole page, you're officially a createdb expert now, i don't make the rules 💖

ngl the double-quoted identifier thing shows up three times on this page. it's not a phase, it's a lifestyle 🎀

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mwah 💋 — with love, from the PostgreSQL 13.23 docs, dated 2025, page CREATEDB(1). go make some databases bestie 🫶✨