Your first connection

QoreDB has no project setup, no global configuration to fill in, no account to create. You launch the app, add a connection, and start querying. This page walks you through that flow.

The two ways to add a connection

You can create a new connection in two ways. Both end up with the same normalized configuration, encrypted in the local vault.

Paste a DSN/URL. Fastest path. If you have a connection string already (from your .env, your hosting provider's dashboard, or your team wiki), paste it and QoreDB parses it for you. Driver auto-detection picks the right engine: postgresql:// becomes Postgres, mongodb+srv:// becomes MongoDB Atlas, and so on.

Fill the form. Driver-specific form with separate fields for host, port, user, password, database, SSL/TLS, and any options that engine supports. Useful when you don't have a DSN handy or when you want to inspect every field explicitly.

You can switch between the two modes inside the connection dialog at any time.

Walk-through: connect to a database

1. Click the + button in the connection sidebar (bottom-left).

2. Choose your database engine.

3. Either:

   • Toggle Use URL and paste your connection string, then click Parse, or
   • Fill the form fields directly.

4. Click Test connection to verify QoreDB can reach the database.

5. Choose an environment (development, staging or production). The default is development. The environment drives a color-coded badge in the UI and gates production mutations behind a typed confirmation. See Environments for the full behavior.

6. Click Save. The connection appears in the sidebar.

7. Double-click the connection (or click Connect) to open a session and start exploring.

DSN examples per driver

Here are the formats QoreDB accepts for the most common engines:

postgresql://user:password@host:5432/database
postgresql://user:password@host:5432/database?sslmode=require

A complete reference of all supported URL formats, including SQL Server, Redis, DuckDB, and per-driver options, lives on the Connection URLs page.

Try it locally with SQLite

If you don't have a database to connect to right now, the easiest way to play with QoreDB is to point it at a local SQLite file. SQLite needs no server.

1. Click + in the connection sidebar.
2. Pick SQLite.
3. Click Browse and either select an existing .db/.sqlite file, or type a path to a new file. QoreDB will create it for you.
4. Click Connect. You're in.

From there you can run CREATE TABLE, insert rows, and explore the full editor without needing a network connection.

Save the connection in the vault

When you save a connection, the password (and any sensitive option like an SSH key passphrase) is stored in the vault: an encrypted store backed by your operating system's native keychain.

• macOS: Keychain Access
• Windows: Credential Manager
• Linux: Secret Service (GNOME Keyring, KWallet)

The vault uses Argon2 for key derivation. You can also enable an optional app lock that requires a passphrase every time you launch QoreDB. See Vault encryption for details.

SSH tunneling

If your database is behind a bastion or a private network, expand the SSH tunnel section of the connection dialog. QoreDB supports:

• Standard SSH host/port, with username/password or key file authentication
• Proxy jump through a chain of intermediate hosts
• Custom SSH options

QoreDB uses a native OpenSSH client under the hood, so behavior matches what you would get from ssh -L on the command line.

See SSH tunneling for the complete guide.

Common issues

Where to go next

• Interface tour: get familiar with the main UI
• Connections overview: driver-specific guides
• Vault and profiles: group, organize and switch between connections