> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tryardent.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Ardent: Git for your data infrastructure
Ardent lets you create instant, isolated copies of your production Postgres database in under 6 seconds, right in your terminal.
Test migrations, run schema changes and let coding agents like Claude Code and Cursor actually test its database work, all against real data, without touching production so you know they work.
No more shared staging databases. No more hand-maintained fixtures. No more one-off environments for agents. No more hoping your migration works.
An instant database for every task.
Full database copies in under 6 seconds.
Test against production data, not stale fixtures.
Supabase, RDS, PlanetScale, or self-hosted.
## Get started
Branch your Postgres database in a few commands.
**Or have Claude walk you through it.** Paste this into Claude Code or Cursor:
```
Set up Ardent for database branching. Act like a teammate at my keyboard:
run the commands yourself, stop only when you need me to do something
only I can do (browser sign-up, paste a credential, run source-database SQL).
Before each step, give me one short line on what's happening and why.
Process guidance, not a recap afterward.
Run these in order:
1. Install the CLI: npm install -g ardent-cli
2. ardent login → opens a browser to authenticate. Tell me to finish
sign-up or login and ping you when done.
3. Tell me to export my Postgres connection string in this shell:
export ARDENT_DB_URL='postgres://...'
Then run:
ardent connector preflight postgresql "$ARDENT_DB_URL"
If preflight prints a Grant script, stop and ask me to run it on the
source database, then re-run preflight until it passes.
4. After preflight passes, run:
ardent connector create postgresql "$ARDENT_DB_URL"
Initial setup may take minutes or longer depending on database size,
write rate, and network throughput. Wait until `ardent connector create`
finishes and prints that the connector is ready.
5. ardent branch create my-feature → spins up an isolated copy of my
database I can use however I want without touching prod.
6. ardent branch info → give me the connection URL. That URL is my
isolated branch. I connect to it like any Postgres database.
Skip the after-the-fact recap. Hand me the URL at the end. If a command
errors, fix it.
Docs: https://docs.tryardent.com/quickstart
```
## How it works
Ardent replicates your production database into a read replica, then creates isolated **branches** from that replica in seconds. Each branch is a full Postgres database with your real data, just like **branches** in git.
We handle all the infrastructure under the hood so you just have to worry about building!
```
Production DB → Replication → Read replica → Many branches (each in seconds)
```
The workflow mirrors what you already know from git:
* **`ardent branch create`**: spin up an isolated database copy
* **`ardent branch switch`**: switch between branches
* **`ardent branch info`**: see the connection URL and status
* **`ardent branch delete`**: clean up when you're done
Branches auto-suspend after 5 minutes of inactivity and spin back up instantly on reconnect. Branches will not incur any storage cost either, only changes you make on the branches.
Create as many as you need, throw them away when you're done without worrying.
## Next steps
Supabase, RDS, PlanetScale, and self-hosted Postgres.
Commands, flags, automation output, and configuration knobs.
Common questions answered.