How to fix Database dropped in PostgreSQL

Connect to the postgres or template1 database and check if there are active connections to your target database:

SELECT * FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname = 'your_database';

This shows all active sessions connected to the database. If the output is empty, no sessions are connected.

If active connections exist, terminate them using:

SELECT pg_terminate_backend(pg_stat_activity.pid)
FROM pg_stat_activity
WHERE pg_stat_activity.datname = 'your_database'
AND pid <> pg_backend_pid();

This safely terminates all connections except your current session.

Connect to a different database before dropping. Use the postgres or template1 database:

psql -U postgres -d postgres

Then verify your connection:

SELECT current_database();

For PostgreSQL 13 and later with active connections, use the FORCE option:

DROP DATABASE your_database WITH (FORCE);

For earlier versions or to prevent errors if the database does not exist:

DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS your_database;

Or the standard command:

DROP DATABASE your_database;

List all databases to confirm the target database no longer exists:

\l

Or use the query:

SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE datname = 'your_database';

An empty result confirms the database was successfully dropped.