Run your queries from Timescale Console

As Timescale Cloud is based on PostgreSQL, you can use lots of different tools to connect to your service and interact with your data. To securely manage your date from inside Console, Timescale offers the following Cloud SQL editors:

SQL editor: a simple UI to run queries for each individual service.
PopSQL: a comprehensive UI that you use to write queries, visualize data, and share your results.

If you prefer the command line to a Cloud SQL editor, use psql.

SQL editor

SQL editor is an integrated secure UI that you use to run queries and see the results for an Timescale Cloud service.

To enable or disable SQL editor in your service, click Operations > Service management, then update the setting for SQL editor.

Run queries from Console with SQL editor

To use SQL editor with Timescale:

Open SQL editor from Timescale Console
1. In Timescale Console, select a service.
2. Click SQL editor. You can now run queries for this service.
Run a test query
Type your query in the UI, then click Run. The results appear in the lower window.

PopSQL

You use PopSQL to write queries, visualize data, and share your results.

Available features are:

Cross platform: Works as a web app or for desktop on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Easy connection: To PostgreSQL, Timescale, Redshift, Snowflake, BigQuery, MySQL, SQL Server, and more.
Real-time collaboration: Work with your team directly in the SQL query editor with live presence and multiple cursors.
Schema browser: Understand the structure of your database and see usage data on tables and columns.
Autocomplete: Get suggestions as you type your queries.
Version history: Access previous versions of a query from the built-in revision history, or connect to a git repo.
Charts: Visualize data from inside your SQL editor rather than switch to Sheets or Excel.
Dashboards: Create beautiful SQL-based dashboards.
Schedules: Automatically refresh queries and dashboards to create push alerts.
Query variables: Use Liquid to parameterize your queries or use if statements.

Connect to your Timescale Cloud service with PopSQL

To use PopSQL with Timescale:

Open PopSQL from Timescale Console
Log in to Timescale Console, then click PopSQL.
You may be prompted to sign into Timescale again.
Link your Timescale and PopSQL accounts
If you use the same email for existing Timescale and PopSQL accounts, these accounts are linked automatically. If you are using PopSQL for the first time, confirm that you want to create a PopSQL account.

This creates a new PopSQL organization that is associated with your Timescale project.
Connect to a Timescale Service
Select a service and enter your credentials, then click Connect.
If your Timescale service runs in a VPC, follow the instructions in What if my service is inside a VPC?.
Run a test query
You've successfully connected PopSQL to your Timescale service! Try running a test query like select current_date.

Now you have set up PopSQL, see how to easily do the following:

PopSQL FAQ

How do I access PopSQL?

Either:

When you open Timescale Console, click PopSQL:
In Timescale Console, click Project settings, then click View Project in PopSQL.
This resyncs your Timescale project with your PopSQL organization. Any new services are added automatically.

What if my service is within a VPC?

If your Timescale Service runs inside a VPC, do one of the following to enable access for PopSQL:

Use PopSQL's bridge connector
Use an SSH tunnel
- When you configure the connection in PopSQL, under Advanced Options, enable Connect over SSH
Add PopSQL's static IPs (23.20.131.72, 54.211.234.135) to your allowlist

What happens if another member of my Timescale project opens PopSQL?

A PopSQL user account is created for the Timescale project member. This user is automatically added to your PopSQL organization. Unless you share the connection within PopSQL, this new user must input their own credentials for each service/connection.

Will using PopSQL affect the performance of my Timescale Cloud service?

There are a few factors to consider:

What instance size is your database?
How many users are running queries?
How computationally intensive are the queries?

If you have a small number of users running performant SQL queries against a service with sufficient resources, then there should be no degradation to performance. However, if you have a large number of users running queries, or if the queries are computationally expensive, best practice is to create a read replica and send analytical queries there.

If you'd like to prevent write operations such as insert or update. Instead of using the tsdbadmin superuser, create a read-only user for your service and use that within PopSQL.

Cloud SQL editor licenses

SQL editor: free for anyone with a Timescale Cloud account.
PopSQL with Timescale Cloud: the number of Cloud SQL editor seats you are allocated depends on your Pricing Plan.
PopSQL standalone: there is a free plan available to everyone, as well as paid plans. See PopSQL Pricing for full details.