Postgis extension

[samaty593]

Question

hello guys,

I've been trying to use the postgis extension without the Unsupported fallback type since according to their https://www.prisma.io/docs/orm/prisma-schema/postgresql-extensions, postgis is natively supported by Prisma but without much success. I always get the same error:

---

❯ npx prisma migrate deploy --config libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma.config.ts
Loaded Prisma config from libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma.config.ts.

Prisma schema loaded from libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma/schema.prisma.
Error: Prisma schema validation - (get-config wasm)
Error code: P1012
error: Error validating: This line is not a valid field or attribute definition.
  -->  libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma/schema.prisma:77
   | 
76 |   country        String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)
77 |   position       Geometry(Point, 4326)?
78 | 
   | 

Validation Error Count: 1
[Context: getConfig]

Prisma CLI Version : 7.8.0

---

Has anyone managed to successfully compile without "Unsupported"?

thanks in advance!

How to reproduce (optional)

Expected behavior (optional)

No response

Information about Prisma Schema, Client Queries and Environment (optional)

model Recipient {
  id             String   @id @default(uuid())
  lastName       String   @db.VarChar(100)
  firstName      String   @db.VarChar(100)
  email          String   @db.VarChar(255)
  phoneNumber    String   @unique @db.VarChar(20)
  // Structured Address Fields
  streetAddress  String   @db.VarChar(255) // e.g., "123 Main St"
  city           String   @db.VarChar(100)
  stateRegion    String?  @db.VarChar(100) // Optional depending on country
  postalCode     String   @db.VarChar(20)
  country        String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)
  position       Unsupported("Geometry(Point, 4326)")?
  location       Geometry(Point, 4326)?

// Add any relevant Prisma Client queries here

• OS:

• Database:

• Node.js version:

• Run prisma -v to see your Prisma version and paste it

[nurul3101]

Hello,

Can you share the generator block of your schema.prisma file?
Have you added the postgresqlExtensions preview feature?

It should look something like this:

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client"
  output          = "./generated"
  previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"]
}

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  extensions = [postgis]
}

[samaty593]

Hi, I use the last version of prisma and i belive we don't need those anymore. But i tried it and still no positive result.

I believe i found the issue here. https://github.com/prisma/prisma-engines/pull/5797#issuecomment-4202485408.

The PR has not been merged yet even though the doc suggest it has.

Please let me know.

Thank u for your reply.

[tamish-max]

The schema line itself is valid on current Prisma versions — the docs now show Geometry(Point, 4326)? as the native PostGIS type. When the parser says "not a valid field or attribute definition", the first things I'd check are version alignment and generator setup:

• make sure prisma and @prisma/client are on the same version
• if this is a monorepo/Nx setup, make sure an older Prisma CLI/schema engine is not the one actually being executed
• ensure PostGIS is enabled in the DB (CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis;)
• if you're also managing extensions from schema, keep the datasource/generator config current

So my guess is less "the type is unsupported" and more "the schema is being parsed by an older engine". As a temporary fallback, Unsupported("Geometry(Point, 4326)")? still works, but on a current toolchain the native Geometry(...) syntax should parse.

[GitNimay]

To clarify the confusion first: when Prisma's documentation says PostGIS is "natively supported", it refers to the extension being recognized and manageable via the extensions array in the datasource block. Prisma does not yet support native geometry or geography types as first-class schema types, meaning you cannot define Point or Geometry types directly in your schema and run queries on those fields. The answer to your question is: no, Geometry(Point, 4326) as a bare field type is not valid Prisma schema syntax in any current version, and Unsupported is not a fallback to avoid but the correct and only supported approach right now.

The correct schema setup

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client-js"
  previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"]
}

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  url        = env("DATABASE_URL")
  extensions = [postgis]
}

model Recipient {
  id            String   @id @default(uuid())
  lastName      String   @db.VarChar(100)
  firstName     String   @db.VarChar(100)
  email         String   @db.VarChar(255)
  phoneNumber   String   @unique @db.VarChar(20)
  streetAddress String   @db.VarChar(255)
  city          String   @db.VarChar(100)
  stateRegion   String?  @db.VarChar(100)
  postalCode    String   @db.VarChar(20)
  country       String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)
  position      Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?

  @@index([position], name: "recipient_position_idx", type: Gist)
}

Remove the location Geometry(Point, 4326)? line entirely. That is what is causing your P1012 validation error.

Inserting and querying the position field

Because Unsupported fields are not available through the standard Prisma Client API, you use raw queries for writes and spatial reads:

import { Prisma } from '@prisma/client'

// Insert with a point
await prisma.$executeRaw`
  UPDATE "Recipient"
  SET position = ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${longitude}, ${latitude}), 4326)
  WHERE id = ${id}
`

// Query by proximity (within 5km)
const nearby = await prisma.$queryRaw<Recipient[]>`
  SELECT *,
    ST_Distance(
      position::geography,
      ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${longitude}, ${latitude}), 4326)::geography
    ) AS distance
  FROM "Recipient"
  WHERE ST_DWithin(
    position::geography,
    ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${longitude}, ${latitude}), 4326)::geography,
    5000
  )
  ORDER BY distance
`

If you want to avoid raw queries for inserts, you can use a Prisma Client extension to wrap the geometry fields cleanly:

const extendedPrisma = prisma.$extends({
  model: {
    recipient: {
      async createWithPosition(data: RecipientCreateInput, lat: number, lng: number) {
        const created = await prisma.recipient.create({ data })
        await prisma.$executeRaw`
          UPDATE "Recipient"
          SET position = ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${lng}, ${lat}), 4326)
          WHERE id = ${created.id}
        `
        return created
      }
    }
  }
})

The Unsupported type for geometry fields combined with a Prisma Model Extension is the currently recommended pattern for working with PostGIS in Prisma. Until Prisma adds first-class geometry type support, this is not a workaround to avoid but the production-ready approach.

[aymenhmaidiwastaken]

Prisma's PostGIS support means it recognizes the postgis extension in your schema and can manage enabling it — but it does not add native Prisma types for geometry columns. You still need to use Unsupported for the actual column types.

Here's what a working setup looks like:

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client-js"
  previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"]
}

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  url        = env("DATABASE_URL")
  extensions = [postgis]
}

model Location {
  id    Int                          @id @default(autoincrement())
  name  String
  geom  Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?
}

The Unsupported type is expected here — Prisma doesn't have a native Geometry type. To query spatial data, use $queryRaw:

const nearby = await prisma.$queryRaw`
  SELECT id, name, ST_AsGeoJSON(geom) as geojson
  FROM "Location"
  WHERE ST_DWithin(geom, ST_MakePoint(${lng}, ${lat})::geography, ${radiusMeters})
`;

Make sure:

1. The previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"] is in your generator block
2. The extensions = [postgis] is in your datasource block
3. Run npx prisma migrate dev after adding the extension — Prisma will generate CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis

If you're getting errors during migration, check that PostGIS is actually installed on your Postgres instance (not just the extension enabled in the schema).

[logusivam]

The error is clear and the fix is straightforward — the Geometry(Point, 4326) syntax you're using is not how Prisma exposes PostGIS native type support. You're mixing up two different things that the documentation describes separately.

---

What's actually happening

Prisma's native PostGIS support does not mean you can write Geometry(Point, 4326) as a bare type directly in your schema field definition. That syntax is invalid in the Prisma Schema Language (PSL) — which is exactly what the P1012 validation error is telling you:

error: Error validating: This line is not a valid field or attribute definition.
  --> schema.prisma:77
  |
77|   position       Geometry(Point, 4326)?

PSL field definitions must follow the pattern fieldName FieldType @attributes — and Geometry(Point, 4326) is not a valid PSL type. It's a PostgreSQL type, not a Prisma scalar or model type.

---

What Prisma's PostGIS "native support" actually means

The Prisma documentation page you linked describes support for the postgis extension declaration in the schema, meaning Prisma recognizes and manages the extension itself:

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  url        = env("DATABASE_URL")
  extensions = [postgis]
}

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client-js"
  previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"]
}

This tells Prisma to include CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis in migrations. It does not mean PostGIS geometry types become first-class Prisma scalar types you can use directly in field definitions. The field type itself still requires Unsupported().

---

The correct schema — use Unsupported() for the field type

Your schema has both a correct version and an incorrect version of the same field. Keep the Unsupported() one and remove the bare Geometry(Point, 4326) line:

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  url        = env("DATABASE_URL")
  extensions = [postgis]
}

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client-js"
  previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"]
}

model Recipient {
  id             String   @id @default(uuid())
  lastName       String   @db.VarChar(100)
  firstName      String   @db.VarChar(100)
  email          String   @db.VarChar(255)
  phoneNumber    String   @unique @db.VarChar(20)
  streetAddress  String   @db.VarChar(255)
  city           String   @db.VarChar(100)
  stateRegion    String?  @db.VarChar(100)
  postalCode     String   @db.VarChar(20)
  country        String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)
  position       Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?
}

Key changes:

• Remove location Geometry(Point, 4326)? — this line is the source of the P1012 error
• Keep position Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")? — this is the correct and only supported syntax
• Note the casing: PostGIS accepts both Geometry and geometry, but lowercase geometry(Point, 4326) is the canonical PostgreSQL type name and is safer to use inside Unsupported()

---

How to query the Unsupported field

Fields typed as Unsupported() are excluded from the generated Prisma Client typings, so you cannot pass them in standard create/update calls. Use $queryRaw and $executeRaw for reads and writes:

import { Prisma } from '@prisma/client';

// Write — insert with a PostGIS point
await prisma.$executeRaw`
  UPDATE "Recipient"
  SET position = ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${longitude}, ${latitude}), 4326)
  WHERE id = ${id}
`;

// Read — query with spatial filter
const recipients = await prisma.$queryRaw<Recipient[]>`
  SELECT
    id,
    "firstName",
    "lastName",
    ST_AsGeoJSON(position) AS position
  FROM "Recipient"
  WHERE ST_DWithin(
    position::geography,
    ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint(${longitude}, ${latitude}), 4326)::geography,
    ${radiusInMeters}
  )
`;

---

Why Unsupported() is the right long-term choice here, not a workaround

Unsupported() is not a deficiency in this case — it is the correct primitive for types that exist in the database but have no Prisma scalar equivalent. PostGIS geometry types have no Prisma scalar representation because they require spatial indexing, SRID awareness, and specialized functions (ST_MakePoint, ST_DWithin, ST_AsGeoJSON, etc.) that cannot be meaningfully abstracted into a generic client API. Using Unsupported() + $queryRaw/$executeRaw gives you the full power of PostGIS without any loss of functionality.

---

Summary

What you tried	Why it fails
location Geometry(Point, 4326)?	Not a valid PSL type — causes P1012 validation error
position Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?	Correct — use this
extensions = [postgis] in datasource	Correct — manages the extension in migrations
previewFeatures = ["postgresqlExtensions"] in generator	Required for the extensions block to work

The Unsupported() syntax on your position field is correct. Delete the location Geometry(Point, 4326)? line and the validation error will resolve immediately.

Hope this helps — if it answers your question, would you mind clicking "Mark as answer" so others searching for the same thing can find it quickly?

[samaty593]

hi, sorry for the late reply.

The documentation I pointed to has been completely removed.

thanks for the reply anyway.

[jibin7jose]

Question

hello guys,

I've been trying to use the postgis extension without the Unsupported fallback type since according to their https://www.prisma.io/docs/orm/prisma-schema/postgresql-extensions, postgis is natively supported by Prisma but without much success. I always get the same error:

❯ npx prisma migrate deploy --config libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma.config.ts Loaded Prisma config from libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma.config.ts.

Prisma schema loaded from libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma/schema.prisma. Error: Prisma schema validation - (get-config wasm) Error code: P1012 error: Error validating: This line is not a valid field or attribute definition.   -->  libs/shared/api/db/data-access/prisma/schema.prisma:77    |  76 |   country        String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100) 77 |   position       Geometry(Point, 4326)? 78 |     | 

Validation Error Count: 1 [Context: getConfig]

Prisma CLI Version : 7.8.0

Has anyone managed to successfully compile without "Unsupported"?

thanks in advance!

How to reproduce (optional)

Expected behavior (optional)

No response

Information about Prisma Schema, Client Queries and Environment (optional)

model Recipient {
  id             String   @id @default(uuid())
  lastName       String   @db.VarChar(100)
  firstName      String   @db.VarChar(100)
  email          String   @db.VarChar(255)
  phoneNumber    String   @unique @db.VarChar(20)
  // Structured Address Fields
  streetAddress  String   @db.VarChar(255) // e.g., "123 Main St"
  city           String   @db.VarChar(100)
  stateRegion    String?  @db.VarChar(100) // Optional depending on country
  postalCode     String   @db.VarChar(20)
  country        String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)
  position       Unsupported("Geometry(Point, 4326)")?
  location       Geometry(Point, 4326)?

// Add any relevant Prisma Client queries here

• OS:
• Database:
• Node.js version:
• Run prisma -v to see your Prisma version and paste it

PostGIS extension answer

The main issue is that Geometry(Point, 4326)? is only valid if your Prisma version supports native PostGIS geometry fields.

If Prisma rejects that line with:

P1012: This line is not a valid field or attribute definition

then the problem is not PostGIS itself. The problem is that your Prisma schema parser does not recognize Geometry(...) as a valid field type in that version or setup.

What Prisma supports

• extensions = [postgis] tells Prisma to enable the PostGIS extension in migrations.
• It does not automatically make every spatial type usable in every Prisma version.
• If native geometry support is unavailable in your version, the correct fallback is:

Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?

Correct schema

datasource db {
  provider   = "postgresql"
  url        = env("DATABASE_URL")
  extensions = [postgis]
}

model Recipient {
  id            String   @id @default(uuid())
  lastName      String   @db.VarChar(100)
  firstName     String   @db.VarChar(100)
  email         String   @db.VarChar(255)
  phoneNumber   String   @unique @db.VarChar(20)
  streetAddress String   @db.VarChar(255)
  city          String   @db.VarChar(100)
  stateRegion   String?  @db.VarChar(100)
  postalCode    String   @db.VarChar(20)
  country       String   @default("France") @db.VarChar(100)

  position      Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?
}

Why your line fails

The field:

position Geometry(Point, 4326)?

fails during schema validation because Prisma does not treat that syntax as a valid field declaration in the version that produced your error. That is why the CLI stops before migration even starts.

What to do next

If you want the schema to compile right now, remove the native Geometry(...) field and keep Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")?.

If you want to use the newer native PostGIS geometry support, make sure your Prisma version matches the current documentation and actually includes that feature.

Short answer

Geometry(Point, 4326)? is not valid in your current Prisma setup. Use Unsupported("geometry(Point, 4326)")? unless you are on a Prisma version that explicitly supports native PostGIS Geometry fields.