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pocketbase

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Models PocketBase backends: collections, relations, auth, API rules, migrations, and architecture. Use when designing schema, security rules, data modeling, choosing between hooks vs client access, or explaining PocketBase platform concepts — not for npm JS SDK code or pb_hooks.

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/pockethost/pockethost/blob/HEAD/.cursor/skills/pocketbase/SKILL.md

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PocketBase Platform

PocketBase is a single-binary backend: SQLite database, REST + realtime API, auth, file storage, and admin UI.

Official docs: https://pocketbase.io/docs/

Which skill to use

TaskSkill
Design collections, rules, authpocketbase (this skill)
Browser/Node app calling PocketBase over HTTPpocketbase-js-sdk
Server-side hooks in pb_hooks/*.pb.jspocketbase-jsvm
Superuser admin UI extensions (PB ≥0.37)pocketbase-admin-plugins

Core concepts

Collections and records

  • Collections are tables; records are rows.
  • Field types: text, number, bool, email, url, date, select, relation, file, json, etc.
  • Relations link collections; use expand in API queries to include related records.
  • Indexes improve filter/sort performance on large collections.

Auth

  • Auth collections (e.g. users) support registration, login, OAuth2, OTP.
  • Superusers are admin accounts (_superusers); regular auth records live in auth collections.
  • JWT tokens identify authenticated requests; API rules reference @request.auth.

API rules (security)

Rules control list/view/create/update/delete per collection. Write rules as filter expressions:

@request.auth.id != "" && @request.auth.id = user.id
  • Prefer API rules over middleware for access control.
  • @request.auth — current authenticated record (or null).
  • @collection.* — cross-collection lookups in rules.
  • Empty rule = locked; @request.auth.id != "" = any authenticated user.

Migrations

Two migration systems:

TypeLocationLanguageUse for
Go migrationspb_migrations/Go (compiled into binary)Core schema shipped with PocketBase
JS migrationspb_migrations/*.jsJSVM (sync)User/instance schema changes via FTP

JS migrations run in the JSVM — see pocketbase-jsvm for constraints.

Realtime

  • Clients subscribe to collection or record changes via the SDK.
  • Subscription access is governed by the same API rules as list/view.

Files

  • File fields store uploads in pb_data/storage/.
  • Public static assets can be served from pb_public/.

Architecture decisions

Prefer direct client access

PocketBase is designed for client → PocketBase communication with API rules enforcing security.

Avoid wrapping PocketBase in SvelteKit/Next.js server routes unless necessary:

  • Adds double network hops and latency
  • Complicates JWT/cookie state
  • Concentrates traffic on one IP (rate limits)

Prefer JS hooks for privileged server logic

When clients need elevated operations (payments, external APIs, admin-only mutations):

  1. Add a custom route or record hook in pb_hooks/ (pocketbase-jsvm)
  2. Call it from the client via pb.send() (pocketbase-js-sdk)

Do not instantiate the JS SDK inside hooks to call the same server — use $app APIs directly.

When server-side SDK access is OK

  • CLI tools, admin scripts, mothership internal services
  • Aggregations that cannot be expressed in rules or hooks
  • Integrations that must stay off the client

PocketHost context

This monorepo is the PocketHost platform. For hosting-specific details (FTP dirs, instance URLs, limits), see pockethost-hosting.md.

Official reference links