Neon Postgres Branches Skill for Claude Code: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes your assistant choose and create the right Neon branch for testing migrations, including schema-only branches for sensitive data.

Installs: 36.1K; on skills.sh
Stars: 108; on GitHub
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

SKILL.md decides between a normal branch and a schema-only branch, then creates it with neon branches create. It defaults to the Neon CLI, uses the Neon MCP server when the CLI cannot be used, and falls back to the REST API.

It loads when you ask about Neon branching, safe migration testing or resetting a branch. It also covers reset from parent, branch expiry and a neon.ts branch policy. It needs the Neon CLI and a Neon account, and it points to the parent neon skill first.

Good for

Developers testing a migration on a copy of production data
Teams that must not copy sensitive rows into dev or test
Teams setting up branch per PR or per test run in CI

Install neon-postgres-branches

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the neon-postgres-branches skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add neondatabase/agent-skills --skill neon --skill neon-postgres-branches

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js, A Neon account.

Install the parent neon skill with this one: SKILL.md starts with 'Use the parent neon skill', and the commands here use the Neon CLI. The parent neon skill gives the CLI install (npm i -g neon, plus bun, pnpm or brew variants) and sign-in (neon login). The plugin route installs the neon-postgres plugin: 9 skill folders and the Neon MCP server (https://mcp.neon.tech/mcp), which asks you to sign in with Neon over OAuth on first use. The folder routes copy skills only. There is no Claude app upload route because the skill drives the Neon CLI.

Built from the package data we hold. Not yet tested by us.

What's in the skill

When it loads

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".

Sections in SKILL.md

Branch Type Decision
Tool Selection: CLI or MCP
Selection order
MCP branch flow
Create a Normal Branch (Preferred for Real-Data Migration Testing)
Steps
Create a Schema-Only Branch (Beta, Sensitive Data)
Steps
Beta Support Guidance (Mandatory)
Reset from Parent
What it does
When to recommend it
Hard constraints and blockers
CLI usage
Console and API usage
Notes and Caveats

Key facts

Author: Neon (neondatabase/agent-skills, vendor's own repo)
Repo: neondatabase/agent-skills
License: Apache-2.0 (LICENSE and plugin.json agree)
Installs on skills.sh: 36,107 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 108 for the whole neondatabase/agent-skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Oct 30, 2026
Audits on skills.sh: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass, Socket: pass, Snyk: pass
What it includes: 1 file: SKILL.md (counted from the repo tree)
Needs: The parent neon skill, the Neon CLI and a Neon account (the parent skill gives npm i -g neon)
Part of plugin: neon-postgres (9 skill folders and the Neon MCP server)

What it includes

Normal branch for real-data testing, schema-only branch for sensitive data.
If the request is unclear, SKILL.md has the agent ask one question: realistic data, or only schema because the data is sensitive.
Read · Branch type decision
Defaults to the Neon CLI; falls back to Neon MCP, then the REST API.
It checks neon --version and neon projects list first.
Runs code · Tool selection
Creates a normal branch from a parent, with an optional --expires-at.
Optionally followed by neon connection-string for the new branch.
Try: “Create a branch of production to test this migration.”
Runs code · neon branches create
Creates a schema-only branch (Beta) that copies structure but no rows.
SKILL.md says schema-only branches are root branches with no parent, so reset-from-parent does not apply.
Runs code · neon branches create --schema-only
Replaces a child branch with the parent latest schema and data.
Local changes on the child are lost. --preserve-under-name keeps a backup branch.
Try: “Reset my dev branch from its parent.”
Delete · neon branches reset --parent
Asks whether to point DATABASE_URL in your env file at the new branch.
SKILL.md says it never overwrites an existing env key without explicit confirmation.
Write · Update .env after creation
Sets parent, ttl, protection and compute limits for new branches in neon.ts.
Uses npm i @neon/config and neon deploy.
Runs code · neon.ts branch policy
One branch per PR, per test run or per developer, with cleanup.
Read · CI/CD patterns

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

Reset replaces a branch's data
SKILL.md says reset from parent fully replaces the child branch schema and data, and local changes on the child are lost. Use --preserve-under-name to keep a backup branch, and only reset throwaway branches. github.com
Old branches pile up
SKILL.md says branches should get an expiry and automated cleanup so old ones do not add avoidable storage and history cost. github.com
It can change your env file
After creating a branch it asks whether to write the new connection string to DATABASE_URL. Say no if you want to keep your current credentials. github.com

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only mode is documented for this skill.
Talks to	Neon API through the CLI or MCP server
Sign-in and keys	Uses your Neon CLI sign-in or API key, or the Neon MCP server login. SKILL.md does not say where these are stored.
Scopes	Runs the Neon CLI (or Neon MCP tools) as your Neon account Creates and resets branches in your Neon project Can write a new DATABASE_URL into your env file after you confirm Installs @neon/config with npm for neon.ts

Questions

What does the neon-postgres-branches skill do?

It makes your assistant pick the right Neon branch type and create it with the Neon CLI. SKILL.md covers normal branches for migration tests, schema-only branches for sensitive data, and reset from parent.

How do I install it?

Use the install box at the top of this page. It installs the parent neon skill with this one, because SKILL.md starts by pointing to the neon skill. You also need the Neon CLI and a Neon account.

Is it the official Neon skill?

Yes. It is in Neon's own agent-skills repo, and the repo's marketplace file calls its plugins official Neon plugins for Claude Code.

Does it work in the Claude app?

The install box has no Claude app upload route, because the skill drives the Neon CLI on your machine.

What is a schema-only branch?

A branch that copies the structure of your database but no rows, for work with sensitive data. SKILL.md marks it Beta and says it is an independent root branch with no parent.

Is it safe?

It creates and resets branches on your Neon account. Reset from parent replaces a branch with the latest parent data. Our advice: reset only throwaway branches and keep the backup option on.

Neon branches vs the neon-postgres skill?

neon-postgres is a broad guide to Postgres on Neon. This skill is narrower: choosing and creating the right branch type, and resetting branches.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: neondatabase/agent-skills
Folder: skills/neon-postgres-branches

neondatabase/agent-skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 6

neondatabase/agent-skills README · github.com
neon marketplace.json · github.com
neon plugin.json · github.com
neon mcp.json · github.com
neon SKILL.md (parent skill) · github.com
neon-postgres-branches SKILL.md · github.com