Prisma Accelerate cannot locate your project, typically due to an incorrect API key, disabled Accelerate project, or misconfigured connection string. This prevents query execution through Prisma's connection pooling service.
The P5003 error occurs when Prisma Accelerate receives a request but cannot identify which project it belongs to. This is a project-level authentication and identification failure that happens before any database operations can be executed. Prisma Accelerate is a connection pooling and query caching service that requires your project to be properly configured in the Prisma Data Platform. Each Accelerate project has a unique API key embedded in the connection string that authenticates requests and routes them to the correct database configuration. This error most commonly appears when your Accelerate project has been disabled in the Prisma Data Platform (either manually or due to billing issues), when you're using an invalid or expired API key, or when the connection string format is incorrect. Unlike connection errors that fail at the database level, P5003 fails at the Accelerate service layer before attempting any database connection.
Log in to the Prisma Data Platform and check if your Accelerate project is enabled:
1. Go to https://console.prisma.io/
2. Navigate to your project
3. Click on the Accelerate tab
4. Check the status indicator
If the project shows as "Disabled", you'll need to re-enable it:
- Click Enable Accelerate or Configure Accelerate
- Verify your database connection string
- Select the region closest to your database
- Generate a new API key
Ensure your DATABASE_URL uses the correct Accelerate connection string format with the API key:
Correct format:
DATABASE_URL="prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/?api_key=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."Common mistakes:
# ❌ Using direct database URL (bypasses Accelerate)
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db"
# ❌ Missing api_key parameter
DATABASE_URL="prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/"
# ❌ Malformed API key
DATABASE_URL="prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/?api_key=invalid"Your connection string should start with prisma:// and include the full API key as a URL parameter.
If your API key is invalid or expired, generate a new one:
1. Go to the Prisma Data Platform console
2. Navigate to your project
3. Click on the Accelerate tab
4. Under "API Keys", click Generate API Key
5. Copy the new connection string (it includes the API key)
6. Update your .env file:
DATABASE_URL="prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/?api_key=YOUR_NEW_API_KEY"Important: Keep your old API key active until you've verified the new one works, then revoke it for security.
Ensure your application is loading the correct .env file:
Check which environment file is loaded:
# Print the DATABASE_URL (first 50 characters)
node -e "console.log(process.env.DATABASE_URL?.substring(0, 50))"Common issues:
- Using .env.example instead of .env
- Loading .env.local in production instead of production environment variables
- Forgetting to restart your application after changing .env
- CI/CD pipeline using cached or incorrect environment variables
Restart your application:
# For development
npm run dev
# For production (restart your server/container)
pm2 restart appPrisma migrations require a direct database connection, not the Accelerate URL. Add a separate DIRECT_DATABASE_URL:
# .env
# Accelerate connection for runtime queries
DATABASE_URL="prisma://accelerate.prisma-data.net/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
# Direct connection for migrations and introspection
DIRECT_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require"Update your Prisma schema:
// prisma/schema.prisma
datasource db {
provider = "postgresql"
url = env("DATABASE_URL")
directUrl = env("DIRECT_DATABASE_URL")
}Run migrations with the direct URL:
npx prisma migrate deployFor Prisma version 7 and above, ensure your Prisma Client is correctly configured to use Accelerate:
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
import { withAccelerate } from '@prisma/extension-accelerate'
const prisma = new PrismaClient().$extends(withAccelerate())
// Use Prisma Client as normal
const users = await prisma.user.findMany()Install the Accelerate extension if not already installed:
npm install @prisma/extension-accelerateFor Prisma versions 5.2.0+, the client automatically detects prisma:// URLs and uses Accelerate without additional configuration.
If your project was previously working, verify your Prisma Data Platform subscription:
1. Go to https://console.prisma.io/
2. Navigate to Settings → Billing
3. Check for:
- Expired free trial
- Failed payment methods
- Exceeded usage limits
- Suspended account
If there are billing issues:
- Update your payment method
- Upgrade your plan if you've exceeded limits
- Contact Prisma support if the issue persists
After resolving billing issues, your project should automatically re-enable within a few minutes.
Multiple API Keys: You can generate multiple API keys per project for different environments (development, staging, production). This allows you to revoke keys independently and track usage per environment. Always use separate API keys for production and development.
API Key Security: Never commit your Accelerate API key to version control. Use environment variables and secrets management (GitHub Secrets, Vercel Environment Variables, Railway Variables) to store keys securely. Rotate API keys regularly and revoke unused keys.
Connection String Priority: Prisma Client checks the DATABASE_URL environment variable at runtime. If you're using different connection methods (Accelerate vs direct) for different operations, ensure the correct URL is loaded for each context. Consider using separate environment variables and loading them explicitly.
Accelerate vs Direct Connection: Use Accelerate for runtime queries in production (connection pooling, caching) but use DIRECT_DATABASE_URL for migrations, introspection, and Prisma Studio. This prevents migration commands from routing through Accelerate, which can cause issues with schema changes.
Regional Endpoints: Accelerate uses regional endpoints for optimal latency. Ensure you're connecting to the correct regional endpoint (accelerate.prisma-data.net automatically routes to the appropriate region). If you notice high latency, verify your Accelerate region matches your database region.
Error Debugging: Enable Prisma query logging to see the full error details:
const prisma = new PrismaClient({ log: ['query', 'error', 'warn'] })This helps distinguish between P5003 (Accelerate project not found) and other connection errors like P1001 (can't reach database server).
Accelerate Health Check: The Prisma Data Platform dashboard shows Accelerate uptime and health status. If you're experiencing P5003 errors across multiple projects, check https://status.prisma.io/ for service status updates.
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