PocketBase

Overview

PocketBase is an open-source backend packaged as a single binary, providing an embedded SQLite database, real-time subscriptions, file storage, and built-in authentication. It auto-generates REST APIs for collections and is ideal for shipping full-stack applications with minimal infrastructure complexity.

Instructions

• When defining collections, choose the appropriate type: base collections for standard CRUD, auth collections for user management with email/password and OAuth2, and view collections for read-only SQL-backed queries.
• When building client integrations, use the JavaScript/TypeScript SDK with pb.collection("name").getList() for queries, .subscribe() for real-time updates, and expand parameter for fetching related data in a single request.
• When configuring permissions, set API rules on every collection (listRule, viewRule, createRule, updateRule, deleteRule) using filter syntax like @request.auth.id = user.id for row-level security.
• When extending functionality, add JavaScript hooks (onBeforeCreateRecord, onAfterUpdateRecord) for business logic, custom routes with routerAdd(), and cron jobs with cronAdd().
• When deploying, run the single binary with ./pocketbase serve, mount pb_data/ as a Docker volume, and use Caddy or Nginx for HTTPS termination.
• When backing up, copy the pb_data/ directory or use the built-in backup API before running migrations.
• When scaling, note that SQLite handles approximately 50,000 concurrent reads; for write-heavy workloads exceeding 100K daily active users, consider PostgreSQL alternatives.

Examples

Example 1: Build an MVP backend with authentication