docs(docs): list the contract references each CLI command accepts, and close eleven gaps on the ORM migration pages

[wmadden-electric]

At a glance

Five CLI reference pages said that an option such as --to accepts a file path, written ./path. No command accepts one:

$ npx prisma db migrate --show --to ./migrations/app/20260929T1558_baseline
✘ [MIGRATION.REF_NOT_FOUND]

The pages now list only the forms each command accepts, and one table on The migration graph states them for every command:

Command and option	Accepts
migration plan --from	a hash, a hash prefix, a ref name, a migration directory name, <dir>^, or @empty
migration plan --to	a hash, a hash prefix, a ref name, a migration directory name, or <dir>^
db migrate --to	a hash, a hash prefix, a ref name, a migration directory name, or <dir>^
db migrate --show --to	the same, and @contract and @empty

The full table has ten rows.

What this pull request does

It closes twelve small gaps on the Prisma ORM 8 migration pages and the CLI reference. Each gap is a place where a reader meets a symbol, a term, or a hash that the page does not explain, or a command that the page tells them to run without showing it. It changes only the Prisma ORM 8 pages. Nothing under v6/ or v7/ changes.

The changes

All page paths are under apps/docs/content/docs/.

The forms a command accepts to name a contract state. orm/migrations/the-migration-graph.mdx has the new table, under "Contract references each command accepts". The option rows on cli/db-migrate.mdx, cli/db-update.mdx, cli/db-sign.mdx, cli/migration-plan.mdx, and cli/migration-status.mdx list the same forms and link to the table. ./path is removed from all five. cli/db-update.mdx and cli/db-sign.mdx gain <dir>^, which both accept. Each of the five pages has a short "Contract references" subsection that says what a ref name and <dir>^ are. cli/migration-ref.mdx and cli/migration-new.mdx link to the table.

The drawing of the migration history. The graph page now explains the lines on the left of the drawing (│, ─, ╯), which --legend does not explain. It defines <dir>^ where it first uses it.

A replacement for migrate reset. orm/migrations/how-migrations-work.mdx shows the commands for PostgreSQL:

dropdb --if-exists mydb
createdb mydb
npx prisma db migrate --advance-ref db

It also says what to do when you cannot drop the database: drop both the public schema and the prisma_contract schema. Dropping only public leaves the marker in the database. db migrate then reports Already up to date on a database with no tables.

db verify --schema-only. Both pages that use it now say that it compares the tables with the contract and skips the marker check.

migrationHash. How migrations work says what the hash is computed from, where to find it, and that it is not a contract hash.

cli/migration-status.mdx. The page has sample output, an explanation of each label in it, and a description of --space. The --legend row no longer mentions "lane colors", which the key does not explain.

Contract space. The term is defined, or linked to its definition, where a reader first meets it: the db init output on (index)/prisma-orm/from-scratch.mdx and (index)/prisma-orm/quickstart/mongodb.mdx, cli/migration-status.mdx, cli/db-migrate.mdx, and cli/index.mdx.

init and orm init. guides/integrations/github-actions.mdx says that these are different commands and what each does.

Two codes for one situation. orm/migrations/rollbacks-and-recovery.mdx and cli/migration-status.mdx say that MIGRATION.MARKER_NOT_IN_HISTORY from migration status and MIGRATION.MARKER_MISMATCH from db migrate describe the same database.

The error reference names prisma/orm. The repository prisma/prisma was renamed prisma/orm. apps/docs/scripts/generate-error-reference.mjs, .github/workflows/sync-error-reference-docs.yml, .github/workflows/error-reference-check.yml, and a comment in .github/workflows/docs-prose.yml now use the new name. orm/reference/error-reference.mdx is regenerated. Its diff is seven lines, all of them the repository name.

No links to examples in prisma/orm. Those examples exist for end-to-end tests. orm/extensions/using-extensions.mdx, orm/migrations/editing-a-migration.mdx, orm/reference/migration-api.mdx, and the graph page no longer link to them. The graph page's section "Try it on real fixtures" is removed. editing-a-migration.mdx links to the section of migration-api.mdx that shows the two helpers it uses.

Words the prose checks reject. The reader-review scripts must pass on every changed page. Three words that were already on cli/index.mdx and cli/db-sign.mdx ("topology", "idempotent", "brownfield") are replaced with plain words, and short sentences on cli/index.mdx, cli/migration-plan.mdx, and the GitHub Actions guide are joined. No fact changes, except one sentence on the GitHub Actions guide that said Prisma ORM writes take one row at a time. createAll() exists, so the sentence now says only that User.create() returns the user it created. apps/docs/cspell.json gains PGHOST, PGPORT, PGUSER, and PGPASSWORD, which the migrate reset text names.

Where the pages differ from the spec

The spec for this work listed @empty as accepted by migration plan --to and by db migrate --to. Both reject it:

$ npx prisma migration plan --from a4c3fa7fc3b2 --to @empty --name t
✘ [MIGRATION.REF_WRONG_GRAMMAR] `@empty` is only valid as an origin (`--from`)

$ npx prisma db migrate --to @empty
✘ [MIGRATION.RUNNER_FAILED] Plan destination storage hash (empty) does not match provided contract storage hash

db migrate --show --to @empty works. The table and the CLI rows state what the CLI does.

What was checked

Versions: prisma 8.0.0-rc.19, @prisma/orm-postgres 8.0.0-rc.13, @prisma/cli-engine 0.6.2, Node.js 24.13.0, PostgreSQL 15.16. Both packages were npm latest on 29 September 2026.

• Every row of the table, with every form: a full hash, a 6-character and a 5-character prefix, a ref name, a migration directory name, <dir>^, @empty, @contract, @db, and three spellings of a file path. Commands: migration plan, migration new, migration ref set, migration status, db migrate with and without --show, db update, and db sign with the argument and with --contract.
• migration graph and migration graph --legend on a history with two branches and a merge.
• The three migrate reset commands, db init in place of the last, dropping only public, and dropping both schemas without creating public again.
• db verify and db verify --schema-only on a database with a missing marker, a different marker, and a column of another type.
• migration check and db migrate after a hand edit to ops.json and to migration.json. db migrate refuses both and applies nothing.
• migration show with a migrationHash prefix and with a contract hash prefix.
• migration status with one migration applied and one pending, with --space, and with --from and no database. The sample output on the page is this capture.
• migration status and db migrate on a database whose marker is outside the migration history.
• init --help and orm init --help.

Checks on the final text: the three reader-review scripts pass on all 17 changed pages; pnpm lint:links reports 0 errors in 716 files; the generator's 32 tests pass. Two rounds of cold readers reviewed the pages, and a design review and a code review followed. The rendered pages were checked in a local preview: headings, anchors, the table, and the code blocks inside the migrate reset list item.

pnpm lint:versions passes. On main it fails on 14 lines that name prisma 8.0.0-rc.17 or @prisma/cli-engine 0.6.1, because npm latest moved to 8.0.0-rc.19 and 0.6.2. This pull request makes the same line changes to those 10 files as #8342, so the two merge cleanly in either order (checked with git merge-tree).

Not in this pull request

• @contract and @db are not listed for migration status or for db migrate --to without --show, and no @ token is listed for db update. The published CLI rejects or mishandles them. fix(cli): contract references list only the forms they accept; migration status resolves @contract and @db orm#30475 fixes this, and the pages change when it ships.
• The table is on a concept page and the CLI pages link into it. Moving it under cli/ belongs to the restructure of the ORM docs.

Alternatives considered

• Repeat the full list of forms and their meanings on every CLI page, with no table. The five pages disagreed with each other before this change for that reason. One table that every row links to keeps them in step.
• Define ref name and <dir>^ only on the graph page. Two rounds of readers could not use the option rows without the definitions, so each CLI page has the same short paragraph.
• Tell readers that migration new --from accepts a prefix shorter than 6 characters. It does, on rc.19, but every other command requires 6. The pages give 6 as the minimum for all commands.

Agent: columbo-92

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Expanded migration command guidance with supported contract references, migration graph and status output explanations, and clearer migration planning and recovery instructions.
  • Clarified migration behavior for MongoDB and PostgreSQL, including migration history, database resets, and verification.
  • Updated quickstarts and integration guides with clearer setup and migration instructions, and refreshed documented CLI and package versions.
  • Updated error-reference documentation to identify its current source. Removed links to runnable extension examples.

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Walkthrough

This pull request updates ORM error-reference sources and documentation. It clarifies migration contract spaces, command reference forms, migration status output, recovery guidance, and workflow examples. It also updates selected package versions and spelling entries.

Changes

ORM documentation updates

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Error-reference sources .github/workflows/docs-prose.yml, .github/workflows/error-reference-check.yml, .github/workflows/sync-error-reference-docs.yml, apps/docs/scripts/generate-error-reference.mjs, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/reference/error-reference.mdx	Workflows, the generator, and error-reference links now identify prisma/orm as the ORM error-reference source.
Contract spaces and CLI references apps/docs/content/docs/(index)/prisma-orm/*, apps/docs/content/docs/cli/*, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/the-migration-graph.mdx	Documents contract spaces and command-specific contract-reference forms. Adds migration status examples and marker warnings, and clarifies the migration graph and command descriptions.
Migration behavior and recovery apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/how-migrations-work.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/rollbacks-and-recovery.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/the-migration-graph.mdx, apps/docs/cspell.json	Clarifies migration hashes, verification behavior, marker errors, graph interpretation, and PostgreSQL reset steps. Adds PostgreSQL environment-variable names to the spelling list.
Migration workflows and examples apps/docs/content/docs/guides/integrations/github-actions.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/editing-a-migration.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/reference/migration-api.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/orm/extensions/using-extensions.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/(index)/prisma-orm/from-scratch.mdx, apps/docs/content/docs/guides/frameworks/solid-start.mdx	Revises migration workflow and MongoDB helper descriptions, removes runnable-example links, and updates displayed package versions.

Priority: ⬇️ Low

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes

Change: Other

Possibly related PRs

• prisma/web#8236: Documents migration commands and artifacts on overlapping migration pages.
• prisma/web#8310: Covers shared-database migration jobs, marker behavior, and migration status.
• prisma/web#8281: Reworks ORM migration pages around contracts, refs, markers, and migration commands.

Suggested reviewers: wmadden

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to 8e982

The SolidStart guide updates a version shown in sample output without changing application setup instructions. No merge-blocking risk was identified in this change.

Security Architecture Review

Security architecture risk: 🔵 Low · up to 2c225

Most changes clarify documentation. The automation also transfers execution trust to a different repository. Publishing permissions remain unchanged, but the new repository's approval controls and verification-script behavior have not been established.

Retained concerns

• Low · security · inferred: The repository switch transfers publishing-job execution trust to prisma/orm/main, not merely documentation sourcing. Its verification script runs in the same job that later receives a documentation commit token and invokes a deployment hook. Equivalent upstream governance and execution containment are unverified; this is a changed trust dependency, not a verified vulnerability or evidence that permissions increased.

Security review details

Security Blast Radius

• inferred — Control over the verification script on prisma/orm/main permits code execution in both verification and sync runners. The sync runner later commits two generated documentation pages and requests deployment. The commit token's actual repository scope and privileges are not available, so maximum credential exposure cannot be bounded to those two paths.

Security Findings and Attack Paths

• inferred — A malicious upstream verification script could mutate shared runner state or Git behavior before the credential-bearing commit step. This is a conditional attack path requiring control of the trusted upstream source, not a demonstrated exploit. The execution pattern already existed for prisma/prisma; the PR changes which repository supplies that code, while comparative ownership and approval controls remain unknown.

Trust Boundaries and Controls

• observed — Source selection is fixed in configuration rather than supplied by public request data. Generated output paths remain fixed, validation precedes writing, and the normal commit command stages only the two generated pages. However, upstream verification is executed directly as Node.js code, so Markdown validation and the staging path list do not constrain its runner authority.

Resilience and Maintainability Implications

• observed — The source switch preserves target identity, validation-before-write ordering, serialized sync execution, and verification-before-publication. Direct file writes and non-transactional push/deployment remain existing behavior; no new interruption, repetition, or recovery mechanism is introduced in the inspected changes.

Hardening Proposals

• proposed — Establish the new upstream repository's ownership and approval controls and review its executable verifier. If that code is not intended to share publishing authority, isolate verification from the credential-bearing job and transfer only validated outputs across the boundary.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly summarizes the main changes: documenting CLI contract references and updating ORM migration pages.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check. Docstring coverage is scoped to functions touched by this diff. Analyzed 0 functions across 1…
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

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Actionable comments posted: 1

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• .github/workflows/docs-prose.yml
• .github/workflows/error-reference-check.yml
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• apps/docs/content/docs/(index)/prisma-orm/from-scratch.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/(index)/prisma-orm/quickstart/mongodb.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/db-migrate.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/db-sign.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/db-update.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/index.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/migration-new.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/migration-plan.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/migration-ref.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/cli/migration-status.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/guides/integrations/github-actions.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/extensions/using-extensions.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/editing-a-migration.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/how-migrations-work.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/rollbacks-and-recovery.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/migrations/the-migration-graph.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/reference/error-reference.mdx
• apps/docs/content/docs/orm/reference/migration-api.mdx
• apps/docs/scripts/generate-error-reference.mjs

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