---
title: "PostgreSQL® - Connect with PHP"
description: "Learn how to connect to a PostgreSQL® database instance with one of the world's most famous programming languages: PHP."
url: https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/public-cloud/databases/postgresql-connect-php
lang: en
---
> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/llms-full.txt.

# PostgreSQL® - Connect with PHP

**Learn how to connect to a PostgreSQL® database instance with one of the world's most famous programming languages: PHP.**

Cloud Databases allow you to focus on building and deploying cloud applications while OVHcloud takes care of the database infrastructure and maintenance in operational conditions.

You can find an example in the [GitHub examples repository](https://github.com/ovh/public-cloud-databases-examples/tree/main/databases/postgresql/php/hello-world).

 

## Requirements

- Access to the [OVHcloud Control Panel](https://manager.us.ovhcloud.com/)

- A [Public Cloud project](https://us.ovhcloud.com/public-cloud/) in your OVHcloud account

- A PostgreSQL® database running on your OVHcloud Public Cloud Databases ([this guide](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/public-cloud/databases/getting-started.md) can help you to meet this requirement)

- [Configure your PostgreSQL® instance](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/public-cloud/databases/postgresql-configure-instance-accept-incoming-connections.md) to accept incoming connections

- A PHP environment with a stable version and public network connectivity (Internet).

  **Note:**

  This guide was made in PHP 8.0.8.

 

## Concept

A PostgreSQL[®](#go-further) instance can be managed in multiple ways. One of the easiest, yet powerful, is to use a Command Line Interface (CLI), as shown in our guide: [Connect to PostgreSQL® with CLI](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/public-cloud/databases/postgresql-connect-cli.md).

Another way is to interact directly using programming languages, such as PHP. PHP is used in almost 80% of the websites in the world, such as Facebook, Wikipedia, or WordPress. PostgreSQL® provides PHP drivers, allowing us to connect and manage a PostgreSQL® instance from code.

To do so, we will need to set up our PHP environment with PostgreSQL® drivers, then configure our Public Cloud Databases for PostgreSQL® instances to accept incoming connections, and finally code in PHP to perform a few example actions.

 

## Instructions

### Set up your PHP environment

To interact with your PostgreSQL® instance with PHP, your development environment needs to be configured with:

- A compatible version of PHP;
- PostgresSQL® and PDO PHP extension;

Please follow the official [PostgreSQL](https://www.php.net/manual/en/book.pgsql.php)® documentation to get the latest information.

If you can edit your PHP environment on your own, install extensions and libraries as detailed in the documentation page linked above.

**Warning:**

**NOTE:** If using Ubuntu, you will need to run the `sudo apt install php-pgsql` command to install the extensions.

We are now ready to learn how to connect to our PostgreSQL instance.

 

### Connect with PHP

#### Using pg\_connect

```php
<?php
$host = "postgresql-11xxxx20-o2xxxx53.database.cloud.ovh.us";
$user = "avnadmin";
$password = "K93xxxxxxxxxxxxxaBp";
$dbname = "defaultdb";
$port = "20235";

$dbconn = pg_connect("host=$host dbname=$dbname user=$user password=$password port=$port sslmode=require")
    or die('Could not connect: ' . pg_last_error());

$stat = pg_connection_status($dbconn);
if($stat === PGSQL_CONNECTION_OK){
  echo 'Connection OK';
} else {
  echo 'An error occurred';
}
?>
```

If you are connected, the result should be like this:

```php
Connection OK
```

 

#### Using PDO

```php
<?php
$host = "postgresql-11xxxx20-o2xxxx53.database.cloud.ovh.us";
$user = "avnadmin";
$password = "K93xxxxxxxxxxxxxaBp";
$dbname = "defaultdb";
$port = "20235";

$conn = new PDO("pgsql:host=$host; port=$port; dbname=$dbname; sslmode=require; user=$user; password=$password");
var_dump($conn->query("select datname from pg_database;")->fetchAll());
?>
```

If you are connected, the result should be like this:

```php
array(4) {
  [0]=>
  array(2) {
    ["datname"]=>
    string(6) "_aiven"
    [0]=>
    string(6) "_aiven"
  }
  [1]=>
  array(2) {
    ["datname"]=>
    string(9) "template1"
    [0]=>
    string(9) "template1"
  }
  [2]=>
  array(2) {
    ["datname"]=>
    string(9) "template0"
    [0]=>
    string(9) "template0"
  }
  [3]=>
  array(2) {
    ["datname"]=>
    string(9) "defaultdb"
    [0]=>
    string(9) "defaultdb"
  }
}
```

 

## Go further

Browse all the [Databases guides](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/public-cloud/databases/landing-page-databases.md).

Browse the rest of the [OVHcloud US documentation](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/index.md) for guides on our other products and services.

Learn more about [Managed Databases](https://us.ovhcloud.com/public-cloud/databases/) on the OVHcloud US website.

OVHcloud Managed Databases and Analytics:

- Grafana® is a registered trademark of Grafana Labs and is used with the permission of Grafana Labs. OVH SAS and its subsidiaries are not affiliated with or endorsed by Grafana Labs.
- Kafka® is a registered trademark of The Apache Software Foundation and has been licensed for use by OVHcloud, who has no affiliation with and is not endorsed by The Apache Software Foundation.
- MongoDB® is a registered trademark of MongoDB, Inc.
- MySQL® is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
- PostgreSQL® is a registered trademark of the PostgreSQL Community Association of Canada.