{"id":107357,"date":"2025-07-23T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/?p=107357"},"modified":"2025-07-21T11:27:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T11:27:05","slug":"using-pgadmin-to-work-with-azure-database-for-postgresql-flexible-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/databases\/postgresql\/using-pgadmin-to-work-with-azure-database-for-postgresql-flexible-server\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use pgAdmin with Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Multiple tools are available for working with Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server<\/a>. One of these is the psql command-line utility, which I introduced you to in the previous article in this series<\/a>. Another valuable tool is pgAdmin<\/a>, a much more robust product. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing and querying PostgreSQL instances, including ADP flexible server. The tool enables DBAs, developers, and other users to easily interact with their ADP instances, while providing intuitive features for working with databases and their data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve used SQL Server Management Studio<\/a> to work with SQL Server, you\u2019ll find many similar features in pgAdmin. For example, you can easily navigate database objects or quickly modify those objects in a few steps. The pgAdmin interface enables you to perform a wide range of tasks using simple point-and-click operations. You can also create and execute scripts, as well as run individual SQL statements. In addition, pgAdmin includes a built-in version of the psql tool, making it easy to switch between the GUI environment and a command-line interface, all within a single window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with any tool, the best way to learn about pgAdmin is through hands-on experience. To help you get started, this article explains numerous features in pgAdmin and demonstrates their use. You\u2019ll learn how to define a connection to an ADP instance and navigate the server and database object hierarchy. You\u2019ll also learn how to create database objects and how to launch a query window and run SQL statements. In addition, I\u2019ll demonstrate how you can launch psql so you can work from the command line within the pgAdmin window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: To follow along with the examples in this article, you need to have a running ADP instance and know the necessary connection information, including the full endpoint name, port number, user name, password, and target database. If you haven\u2019t set up ADP yet, refer to the first article<\/a> in this series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to install pgAdmin on your system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you can use pgAdmin to connect to ADP flexible server, you must install it on your computer. You can run pgAdmin on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, as well as in Docker containers<\/a>. The installation process will depend on the platform you choose. The best place to start is by going to the pgAdmin Download page<\/a>, which provides the information you need for installing pgAdmin on different systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prepare for this article, I installed pgAdmin on my Mac, which was a very straightforward process. I clicked the macOS<\/strong> link on the Download page, and downloaded the .dmg installation file for the latest pgAdmin release, which is currently version 9.4. I then opened the file to launch the installation process and followed the prompts. Once that was complete, I opened pgAdmin and was ready to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-by-step guide to connecting pgAdmin to Azure PostgreSQL flexible server<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you first launch pgAdmin, you\u2019re presented with two main sections, as shown in the following figure. The left section is a pane that contains Object Explorer. This is where you\u2019ll navigate the object hierarchy after you\u2019ve connected to a PostgreSQL instance. Initially, it includes only the Servers<\/strong> node:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The right section is the main window where you\u2019ll carry out many of your operations. When you open pgAdmin, the window contains only the Dashboard<\/strong> tab and Properties<\/strong> tab. The Dashboard<\/strong> tab provides links for connecting to a server instance and for configuring pgAdmin. It also provides links to additional information. The Properties<\/strong> tab contains object properties. However, it will show few details at this point. As with Object Explorer, you need to connect to a PostgreSQL instance before you can view any meaningful information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To connect to your ADP instance, click the Add<\/strong> New<\/strong> Server<\/strong> link on the Dashboard<\/strong> tab. This will launch the Register – Server<\/strong> dialog box, where you can enter the connection information for your ADP instance. This is the same information you used in the previous article when establishing a connection in psql. The following figure shows the General<\/strong> tab in the Register – Server<\/strong> dialog box, where you should enter a name for your connection. I named my connection adp<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For now, you can leave all the other options on the General<\/strong> tab at their default values. Next, go to the Connection<\/strong> tab and configure the following settings:<\/p>\n\n\n

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