compute-config.md

Prisma Compute Config

Use this reference when creating or updating prisma.compute.ts, especially for monorepos, multi-app deploys, reusable framework defaults, env inputs, ports, entrypoints, or build settings.

prisma.compute.ts is not required for every deploy. A simple app can deploy with @prisma/cli app deploy --framework ... --entry ... --http-port ... --env .... The config file exists to make those app-level defaults typed and repeatable.

For monorepos or multi-app repositories, use prisma.compute.ts: it is the practical way to tell Compute which app target lives at which root and which framework/entry/env defaults belong to each target.

Generating a Config with init

Prefer bunx @prisma/cli@latest init over hand-writing a fresh single-app config. It detects the framework from the same registry deploy uses, pins name, framework, and httpPort (plus entry for Bun and Hono), previews every value with its source, offers the @prisma/compute-sdk devDependency for editor types, and offers the Project link. Useful flags: --framework, --entry, --http-port, --name, --no-link, --json.

--format json writes a dependency-free static prisma.compute.json instead of the TypeScript config; a later explicit init --format ts converts it in place when the config needs to become programmatic. init fails with INIT_CONFIG_EXISTS when any compute config already exists, never scaffolds application code, and never deploys. Multi-app monorepo configs are still written by hand.

File Names and Discovery

The canonical file is prisma.compute.ts. The loader also accepts:

prisma.compute.mts
prisma.compute.js
prisma.compute.mjs
prisma.compute.cjs
prisma.compute.json

prisma.compute.json is the static, dependency-free variant of the same config; it is discovered and loaded like the others.

Keep exactly one compute config file in a directory. If multiple names exist together, the CLI reports COMPUTE_CONFIG_INVALID.

The CLI searches from the invocation directory up to the repository or workspace boundary. Boundaries include .git, pnpm-workspace.yaml, bun.lock, bun.lockb, or package.json#workspaces. Config-relative paths such as root and env.file resolve from the config file directory. --env flag paths still resolve from the invocation directory.

When a config is discovered, its directory becomes the Compute project directory for local state: .prisma/local.json and .prisma/cli/state.json live beside that config, not necessarily inside the app root.

Basic Shape

Import defineComputeConfig from @prisma/compute-sdk/config. The CLI aliases this helper when loading the config, so the command can evaluate the config without a local SDK install solely for runtime loading.

import { defineComputeConfig } from "@prisma/compute-sdk/config";

export default defineComputeConfig({
  app: {
    name: "api",
    framework: "hono",
    httpPort: 8080,
    env: ".env",
  },
});

JavaScript configs can default-export a plain object, but prefer prisma.compute.ts for type checking.

Define exactly one of:

• app for a single deploy target
• apps for a monorepo or multi-app repository

Do not define both. Besides app/apps, the only other allowed top-level key is region: a project-level default region applied when deploy creates new apps, overridable per app and by --region.

App Fields

Each app target accepts:

Field	Meaning
name	Deployed app name. Defaults to the apps key, then CLI inference.
region	Compute region id used only when deploy creates a new app. Existing apps keep their current region.
root	App directory relative to the config file. Defaults to the config directory.
framework	Deploy framework: nextjs, nuxt, astro, hono, nestjs, tanstack-start, custom, or bun.
entry	Entrypoint path for Bun/Hono-style deploys, relative to the app root.
httpPort	Deployed HTTP port. Use this for fixed-port apps.
env	Dotenv file path string, or { file, vars }. Paths resolve from the config directory.
build	{ command, outputDirectory, entrypoint }. Present means the config owns build settings for that target.

env examples:

export default defineComputeConfig({
  app: {
    framework: "nextjs",
    env: {
      file: [".env", ".env.production"],
      vars: {
        NODE_ENV: "production",
      },
    },
  },
});

Do not put secrets directly in committed vars. Keep secret values in platform env, CI secrets, or dotenv files that are intentionally managed outside version control.

build examples:

export default defineComputeConfig({
  app: {
    framework: "nextjs",
    build: {
      command: "pnpm build",
      outputDirectory: ".next/standalone",
    },
  },
});

Use command: null to skip the build step only when the app root already contains the deployable artifact.

For a custom or prebuilt artifact, make the deploy target explicit:

export default defineComputeConfig({
  app: {
    framework: "custom",
    build: {
      command: "npm run build",
      outputDirectory: "build",
      entrypoint: "handler.js",
    },
  },
});

build.entrypoint is relative to build.outputDirectory when an output directory is set. For Bun/Hono configs without an output directory, an entrypoint-backed build can supply the source entrypoint. Do not set both entry and build.entrypoint unless they describe the same file.

A config build block is accepted for every supported framework: the config-backed build types are nextjs, nuxt, astro, nestjs, tanstack-start, custom, and bun (hono builds through the bun strategy). Only custom requires one (build.outputDirectory and build.entrypoint); for the others it overrides inferred build settings.

Monorepos and Multi-App Repos

For monorepos, put prisma.compute.ts at the repo or workspace root and use apps. This keeps project binding and local .prisma/ state at the repo root while each app builds from its own root.

import { defineComputeConfig } from "@prisma/compute-sdk/config";

export default defineComputeConfig({
  apps: {
    web: {
      root: "apps/web",
      framework: "nextjs",
      env: "apps/web/.env",
    },
    api: {
      root: "apps/api",
      framework: "hono",
      entry: "src/index.ts",
      httpPort: 8080,
      env: {
        file: "apps/api/.env",
        vars: {
          LOG_LEVEL: "info",
        },
      },
    },
    frontend: {
      root: "apps/frontend",
      framework: "custom",
      build: {
        command: "pnpm --filter frontend build",
        outputDirectory: "dist/server",
        entrypoint: "index.mjs",
      },
    },
  },
});

Target selection:

bunx @prisma/cli@latest app deploy web
bunx @prisma/cli@latest app deploy api
bunx @prisma/cli@latest app build api
bunx @prisma/cli@latest app run api --port 8080

If no [app] argument is passed, commands can infer the target from the invocation directory when it is inside a configured root. The deepest matching root wins. If no target is inferred from a multi-app config, a bare deploy can deploy all targets in declaration order:

bunx @prisma/cli@latest app deploy --branch feature/foo --json --no-interactive

Deploy-all rejects per-app overrides such as --app, --framework, --entry, --http-port, --region, --env, and PRISMA_APP_ID. Project, branch, production, and confirmation flags still apply to the whole run. Keep database setup in explicit database and project-env commands.

app build and app run still need one target in multi-app configs because a local build/run command cannot operate N apps at once.

Additional target rules:

• A single-entry apps map can deploy its only target without an argument.
• With a single app config, [app] is accepted only when it equals the configured name.
• [app] without any compute config file is a usage error.

Precedence

Explicit flags win over config values:

• --framework overrides framework
• --entry overrides entry
• --http-port overrides httpPort
• --region overrides region
• any --env flag replaces all config env inputs
• --app and PRISMA_APP_ID rank above config app names

region is not an app selector. Config region and --region are only used when deploy creates a new app. If the selected app already exists, deploy keeps that app's existing region.

prisma.compute.ts never selects Workspace, Project, Branch, or production intent. Keep those in CLI flags, environment variables, .prisma/local.json, or CI configuration:

bunx @prisma/cli@latest app deploy api \
  --project proj_123 \
  --branch feature/foo \
  --prod \
  --yes

Database Scope

The config does not declare databases. Keep database intent in database create, project env commands, or external automation. Read app-deploy-cli.md for deploy-all, migration, and env-var guardrails.

Relationship to prisma.config.ts

Do not put Compute deploy defaults in prisma.config.ts. Prisma ORM uses prisma.config.ts, while Compute uses prisma.compute.ts.