---
title: Non-Superuser postgres user
url: https://www.tines.com/docs/self-hosted/configuring-tines/using-a-non-superuser-postgres-user/
updated: 2026-03-26T12:00:49+00:00
---

*[tines.com](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt) › [Docs](https://www.tines.com/llms.txt) › [Self-Hosted](https://www.tines.com/llm/docs/self-hosted.md) › [Configuring Tines](https://www.tines.com/llm/docs/self-hosted/configuring-tines.md)*

# Non-Superuser postgres user

*[View on tines.com](https://www.tines.com/docs/self-hosted/configuring-tines/using-a-non-superuser-postgres-user/)*

By default, Tines expects the `DATABASE_USERNAME` to be a superuser so it can create the database, enable extensions, and apply user-level session configuration during setup and upgrades.

If your environment requires a least-privilege approach, you can use a non-superuser — but you'll need to handle a few things manually before starting Tines.

> **Warning:** All steps in this guide must be completed by a Postgres superuser **before** starting Tines for the first time. Skipping any step will cause Tines to fail on startup.

---

## Prerequisites

Before starting Tines with a non-superuser, a superuser must complete the following steps.

### 1. Create the database and user

Replace `tines_user`, `<password-here>`, and `tines_db` with the values you intend to set for `DATABASE_USERNAME`, `DATABASE_PASSWORD`, and `DATABASE_NAME` respectively.

```sql
-- Create the Tines user. Values should match DATABASE_USERNAME and DATABASE_PASSWORD.
CREATE USER tines_user WITH PASSWORD '<password-here>';

-- Create the database. Value should match DATABASE_NAME.
CREATE DATABASE tines_db;

-- Make the user the owner so they have full privileges on the database.
ALTER DATABASE tines_db OWNER TO tines_user;
```

> **Note:** The `DATABASE_USER` must have permission to create, use, and drop objects (tables, sequences, indexes) within the database. Making them the database owner is the simplest way to guarantee this.

### 2. Enable required extensions

Tines requires the following Postgres extensions to be enabled before running for the first time.

```sql
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_trgm;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS plpgsql;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS btree_gin;
```

> **Warning:** `CREATE EXTENSION` requires superuser privileges. A non-superuser cannot enable extensions — this step **must** be run as a superuser.

> **Warning:** When upgrading Tines, new extensions may be introduced. Always check the release notes before running a migration and enable any new extensions manually **before** starting the upgraded version.

### 3. Apply required session configuration

The following parameters must be configured at the user level by a superuser before Tines starts.

```sql
ALTER USER tines_user SET standard_conforming_strings = on;
ALTER USER tines_user SET intervalstyle = 'iso_8601';
ALTER USER tines_user SET client_min_messages = 'warning';
ALTER USER tines_user SET lock_timeout = '5000';
ALTER USER tines_user SET idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '65000';
```

> **Note:** If `tines_user` is not a superuser, a superuser must apply these settings in advance — Tines will fail to start if they are not set.

---

## Using a Schema Other Than `public`

By default, Tines creates all objects in the `public` schema and assumes `search_path` remains at its default. To use a different schema:

- Ensure `tines_user` owns the schema or has been granted all privileges on it
- Set the `DATABASE_SCHEMA` environment variable
- Configure the `search_path` on the user, or set `DATABASE_SCHEMA_SEARCH_PATH`

> **Note:** If `search_path` is not configured correctly, Tines will be unable to locate its tables and will fail on startup.