Connect pgAdmin to PostgreSQL: host, login and TLS
In pgAdmin, register a server and enter the PostgreSQL host, database and login details from your provider. Set up TLS as the provider requires. Give the connection a clear name so it’s easier to find when you switch between databases.
Collect the server details
Ask the database owner for the host, port, maintenance database, username, authentication method and required certificate settings. For cloud PostgreSQL, use the endpoint for the actual PostgreSQL service. An AWS or Azure account login is not automatically a database role, and Azure SQL is a different engine.
Register the connection
In pgAdmin, use the register-server flow. Give the connection a recognizable name, then enter its connection details. Follow the official server dialog documentation for the fields available in your installed version. Apply the provider’s TLS requirements and any approved tunnel settings.
For Supabase, get the endpoint-specific values from the project’s connection panel. Direct and pooled connections can have different hostnames and usernames. The Supabase desktop guide explains the choice.
Verify where you landed
SELECT current_database(), current_user, version();Compare the returned database and role with the intended environment before browsing or editing records. Name development and production connections distinctly. Then list schemas and tables; a successful connection does not guarantee your role can see every object.
Match the error to the next check
- Timeout: check routing, VPN and the approved source network.
- Connection refused: confirm the host, port and listening service.
- Password authentication failed: confirm the database role and credentials.
- Certificate error: check the hostname, trust chain and provider instructions.
Keep the exact error when asking for help, with passwords removed. Check the failing layer before changing access rules, and keep TLS enabled.
Using plainDB instead
The same PostgreSQL connection facts apply in plainDB. Follow its connection documentation and SSL-mode explanation. Switching clients can help isolate a configuration problem, but it cannot grant missing server permissions.