Quick Start
Connect tpaw to a PostgreSQL database and run your first query in 5 minutes.
tpaw connects to a PostgreSQL database in seconds — paste a connection URL or fill in the form, click Connect, and your schema is immediately browsable. This guide walks through the five steps from download to first query.
Step 1: Install tpaw
Download the latest .dmg from the tpaw releases page, mount it, and drag tpaw to /Applications. Launch it — no additional runtime or setup required.
Requirements: macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple Silicon (M1 or later).
Step 2: Create a connection
On first launch tpaw shows the onboarding screen. You have two options:
Option A — Paste a connection URL
If you have a PostgreSQL URL, paste it into the URL field:
tpaw auto-fills all fields from the URL.
Option B — Fill the form manually
Enter the connection name, host, port, username, password, and optionally a database name. The Database field is optional — leaving it blank connects to the default database.
Step 3: Test and save
Click Test to verify the connection before saving. A green success message confirms tpaw can reach the server. Click Save to store the connection (credentials go to the macOS Keychain).
Step 4: Connect and browse
Click the connection card on the home screen to connect. The sidebar loads your schema — tables, views, sequences, enums, functions, and extensions. Click any table to open its data in the Data Grid.
Step 5: Run a query
Press Cmd+T to open a new Query Editor tab. Type a SQL statement and press Cmd+Enter to execute it. Results appear below the editor.
Press Cmd+Shift+Enter to run all statements in the editor and see each result in a separate collapsible block.
Next steps
- Configure an SSH tunnel for remote databases
- Save frequently-used queries to the sidebar
- Set environment tags to distinguish prod from staging
- Learn keyboard shortcuts to work faster