How to Set Up a Supabase Project from Scratch

Create Your Project

Sign up at supabase.com and create a new project. Choose a region close to your users. Set a strong database password — you'll need it for direct connections.

Design Your Schema

Use the Table Editor or SQL Editor to create tables. Define columns, types, and relationships. Use foreign keys for referential integrity. Keep your schema normalized.

Enable Row Level Security

Enable RLS on every table immediately. Write policies that control who can SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. This is Supabase's primary security mechanism — never skip it.

Set Up Authentication

Configure auth providers in Dashboard > Authentication > Providers. Enable email/password, Google, GitHub, or others. Customize email templates for confirmation and password reset.

Install the Client Library

Run npm install @supabase/supabase-js. Initialize the client with your project URL and anon key. For server-side access, use the service role key and keep it secret.

Configure Storage

Create storage buckets for file uploads. Set bucket policies for public or private access. Use Supabase's image transformation API for responsive images.

Set Up Edge Functions (Optional)

For server-side logic, create Edge Functions with Deno. Deploy with the Supabase CLI. Use them for webhooks, scheduled tasks, or complex business logic.