Documentation

Schema Diagram

Visualize your database structure with an interactive entity-relationship diagram.

Overview

The Schema Diagram provides a visual map of your database, showing all tables and their relationships at a glance. It helps you understand unfamiliar databases quickly and navigate between related data.

Schema diagram overview

Accessing the Schema Diagram

  1. Open any database connection
  2. Click Schema in the sidebar navigation
  3. The diagram loads automatically with all tables

Understanding the Diagram

Tables

Each table appears as a card showing:

  • Table name - Header with the table name
  • Row count - Estimated number of records (formatted: 1K, 10K, 1M)
  • Columns - Expandable list of all columns

Table node in diagram

Column Indicators

Columns display icons indicating their type and role:

IconMeaning
Key (amber)Primary Key
Link (violet)Foreign Key
CalendarDate/timestamp column
HashNumeric column
TypeText column

Relationships

Lines connect tables that have foreign key relationships:

  • Lines flow from the foreign key column to the referenced table
  • Hover over a table to highlight its relationships
  • Connected tables and their relationship lines become emphasized

Relationship lines

Legend

The legend in the top-left explains the visual indicators:

  • PK - Primary Key (amber)
  • FK - Foreign Key (violet)
  • Lines - Foreign key relationships

Interacting with the Diagram

Expand and Collapse Tables

Toggle column visibility for each table:

  1. Click a table card to expand/collapse its columns
  2. Use Expand All / Collapse All buttons in the header
  3. Collapsed tables show just the name and row count

Hover Highlighting

Hover over any table to:

  • Highlight the table
  • Highlight all related tables
  • Emphasize the connecting relationship lines
  • Fade unrelated tables

This helps trace relationships in complex schemas.

Navigate to Table Data

Click a table name to:

  1. Navigate to that table's data view
  2. Start browsing records immediately
  3. Apply filters and sorting as needed

Pan and Zoom

Navigate large diagrams:

  • Drag the background to pan
  • Scroll to zoom in/out
  • Use the zoom controls in the bottom-left
  • Click Fit View to see all tables

Mini Map

The mini map in the bottom-right shows:

  • Your current viewport position
  • Overview of the entire diagram
  • Click to jump to different areas

Diagram Layout

Automatic Arrangement

Tables are automatically arranged based on:

  • Foreign key dependencies (referenced tables appear first)
  • Grid-based positioning for clarity
  • Logical grouping of related tables

Manual Positioning

Drag tables to reposition them:

  • Click and drag any table card
  • Arrangement persists during your session
  • Refresh to reset to automatic layout

Refreshing the Schema

When your database schema changes:

  1. Click the Refresh button in the header
  2. Wait for schema introspection to complete
  3. The diagram updates with new tables/columns

Schema is cached for 1 hour and refreshes automatically.

Table Sidebar

On larger screens, a sidebar lists all tables:

  • Alphabetically sorted
  • Shows row count per table
  • Click to highlight that table in the diagram

On mobile, access this via the menu button.

Best Practices

Understanding New Databases

When exploring an unfamiliar database:

  1. Start with the schema diagram for an overview
  2. Identify the main entities (users, orders, products)
  3. Trace relationships to understand data flow
  4. Click through to explore actual data

Tracing Relationships

To understand how tables connect:

  1. Hover over the main table you're interested in
  2. See which tables it references (outgoing)
  3. See which tables reference it (incoming)
  4. Follow the highlighted lines

Complex Schemas

For databases with many tables:

  1. Use zoom to see the full picture
  2. Use the mini map for navigation
  3. Collapse tables you're not focused on
  4. Hover to isolate specific relationships

Performance

Large Schemas

The diagram handles large schemas efficiently:

  • Tables render on-demand as you pan
  • Relationship lines use optimized paths
  • Row counts use PostgreSQL estimates

Loading States

While the diagram loads:

  • A skeleton placeholder appears
  • Tables populate as schema loads
  • Relationships draw after all tables

Current Limitations

  • Single schema - Shows only the public schema by default
  • No editing - The diagram is read-only; use data views to edit
  • Session layout - Manual positioning resets on page refresh
  • Dense schemas - Very large schemas (100+ tables) may require more panning

Next Steps