# neon-postgres-branches

Selects and provisions Neon database branches through the CLI or MCP server. Built for validating migrations on real data and isolating staging environments.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 31200 installs · ★ 106
- Author: neondatabase
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/neondatabase/agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/neon-postgres-branches

## What it does

This skill guides the agent to create the appropriate Neon branch type for development or testing tasks. It provisions a standard branch when you need production-like records to test migrations and queries. For workflows with sensitive rows, it selects a schema-only branch instead.

The workflow defaults to the Neon CLI, checking `neon --version` and project context first. If the CLI is unavailable or unauthenticated, the agent falls back to Neon MCP tools such as `create_branch` or the REST API. The CLI always takes precedence.

Be aware of a strict limitation: the reset-from-parent operation works only on child branches that have no children of their own. You will also need an authenticated Neon CLI or a configured MCP server before running these commands.

## Requirements
- Works with: PostgreSQL

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon-postgres-branches -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/neon-postgres-branches/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon-postgres-branches -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon-postgres-branches -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install neondatabase/agent-skills neon-postgres-branches
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon-postgres-branches -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/neondatabase/agent-skills --path skills/neon-postgres-branches
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon-postgres-branches -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/neondatabase/agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- create an isolated Neon branch for database migration testing
- spin up a schema-only branch to protect sensitive production data
- reset a drifted development branch back to parent branch state
- retrieve connection strings for newly provisioned database branches

## Example prompts
- Create a Neon branch from main to test our schema migration against real data
- Provision a schema-only branch so we can test queries without production rows
- Reset the staging branch from its parent using the Neon CLI

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 687b8b22f6357ab5.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 687b8b22f6357ab5
````text
---
name: neon-postgres-branches
description: >-
  Choose and create the right Neon branch type for testing and development.
  Use when users ask about Neon branching, migration testing with real data,
  isolated test environments, schema-only branch workflows for sensitive data,
  resetting a branch from its parent, branch expiration and CI/CD branch
  lifecycles, or branch creation via Neon CLI or Neon MCP. Triggers include
  "Neon branch", "test migrations safely", "branch production data",
  "schema-only branch", "reset branch", "branch per PR" and
  "sensitive data testing".
metadata:
  parent: neon
  source: https://github.com/neondatabase/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/neon-postgres-branches
---

**FIRST**: Use the parent `neon` skill for a Neon overview, getting started with Neon, Neon development best practices, and more.

If the `neon` skill is not installed, fetch it from https://neon.com/docs/ai/skills/neon/SKILL.md or install it with:

```bash
neon skills -s neon -y
```

# Lakebase Postgres Branching

**Outcome:** a created Neon branch — or a clear, actionable next step if creation cannot proceed. Choose the correct branch type, then execute branch creation with the CLI (or MCP where the CLI isn't usable).

- **Normal branch** for realistic migration and query testing with real data.
- **Schema-only branch (Beta)** for sensitive data workflows where structure is needed without copying rows.

## Branch Type Decision

Use this decision rule first:

1. If the user wants to test complex migrations, performance, or behavior against production-like data, choose a **normal branch**.
2. If the user needs to avoid copying sensitive data, choose a **schema-only branch**.

If the request is ambiguous, ask one clarifying question:
"Do you need realistic data for testing, or only schema structure because the data is sensitive?"

## Tool Selection: CLI or MCP

Support both the Neon CLI and the Neon MCP server, but **default to the CLI**. Use MCP only when the CLI is unavailable or blocked in your environment, cannot be authenticated, or the user explicitly asks for MCP.

- CLI link: https://neon.com/docs/cli/quickstart.md
- MCP link: https://neon.com/docs/ai/neon-mcp-server.md

### Selection order

1. Check the CLI first:
   - Run `neon --version` to confirm the CLI is installed.
   - Run `neon projects list` to confirm auth/context.
2. If the CLI is missing, direct installation via quickstart.
3. If the CLI is installed but not authenticated, guide the user through `neon auth` (or API key auth), then continue.
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 687b8b22f6357ab5

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 687b8b22f6357ab5 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2556 of 13663 bytes. © neondatabase · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/neondatabase/agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/neon-postgres-branches/SKILL.md

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---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md