---
title: Schema location
metaTitle: Prisma Schema Location and Configuration
metaDescription: Documentation regarding proper location of Prisma Schema including default naming and multiple files.
---

The default name for the Prisma Schema is a single file `schema.prisma` in your `prisma` folder. When your schema is named like this, the Prisma CLI will detect it automatically.

## Prisma Schema location

The Prisma CLI looks for the Prisma Schema in the following locations, in the following order:

1.  The location specified by the [`--schema` flag](/orm/reference/prisma-cli-reference), which is available when you `introspect`, `generate`, `migrate`, and `studio`:

    ```terminal
    prisma generate --schema=./alternative/schema.prisma
    ```

2.  The location specified in the `package.json` file (version 2.7.0 and later):

    ```json
    "prisma": {
      "schema": "db/schema.prisma"
    }
    ```

3.  Default locations:

    - `./prisma/schema.prisma`
    - `./schema.prisma`

The Prisma CLI outputs the path of the schema that will be used. The following example shows the terminal output for `prisma db pull`:

```no-lines
Environment variables loaded from .env
//highlight-next-line
Prisma Schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma

Introspecting based on datasource defined in prisma/schema.prisma …

✔ Introspected 4 models and wrote them into prisma/schema.prisma in 239ms

Run prisma generate to generate Prisma Client.
```

## Multi-file Prisma schema

If you prefer splitting your Prisma schema into multiple files, you can have a setup that looks as follows:

```
prisma/
├── migrations
├── models
│   ├── posts.prisma
│   ├── users.prisma
│   └── ... other `.prisma` files
└── schema.prisma
```

:::note

Multi-file Prisma schemas are Generally Available since [v6.7.0](https://pris.ly/release/6.7.0). Before that, they could be used via the `prismaSchemaFolder` Preview feature flag.

:::

### Usage

When using a multi-file Prisma schema, you must always explicitly specify the location of the directory that contains your schema files (including the main `schema.prisma` file with your `generator` block).

You can do this in either of three ways:

- pass the the `--schema` option to your Prisma CLI command (e.g. `prisma migrate dev --schema ./prisma`) 
- set the `prisma.schema` field in `package.json`:
  ```jsonc
  // package.json
  {
    "prisma": {
      "schema": "./prisma"
    }
  }
  ```
- set the `schema` property in [`prisma.config.ts`](/orm/reference/prisma-config-reference#schema) ( for Prisma ORM v7):
  ```ts
  import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config'
  import 'dotenv/config'

  export default defineConfig({
    schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',
    migrations: {
      path: 'prisma/migrations',
      seed: 'tsx prisma/seed.ts',
    },
    datasource: {
      url: env('DATABASE_URL'),
    },
  })
  ```

  :::note

  We recommend using the [Prisma Config file](/orm/reference/prisma-config-reference#schema) to specify the location of your Prisma schema. This is the most flexible way to specify the location of your Prisma schema alongside other configuration options.

  :::

:::warning

The `schema.prisma` file (which contains your `generator` block) must be located in the same directory that you specify in your schema configuration. For example, if you configure `schema: 'prisma'`, your `schema.prisma` file must be at `prisma/schema.prisma`, not in a subdirectory like `prisma/models/schema.prisma`.

:::

You also must place the `migrations` directory at the same level as your `schema.prisma` file.

For example, assuming `schema.prisma` defines the `generator` block, here's the correct directory structure:

```
# All files must be inside the `prisma/` directory
# `migrations` and `schema.prisma` must be at the same level
prisma/
├── migrations
├── models
│   ├── posts.prisma
│   └── users.prisma
└── schema.prisma  # Contains generator block
```

:::info

If your schema files are in a `prisma/` directory (as shown above), the Prisma CLI commands like `prisma generate` and `prisma migrate dev` will work without additional configuration, as `./prisma/schema.prisma` is a default location.

:::

### Tips for multi-file Prisma Schema

We've found that a few patterns work well with this feature and will help you get the most out of it:

- Organize your files by domain: group related models into the same file. For example, keep all user-related models in `user.prisma` while post-related models go in `post.prisma`. 
- Use clear naming conventions: schema files should be named clearly and succinctly. Use names like `user.prisma` and `post.prisma` and not `myModels.prisma` or `CommentFeaturesSchema.prisma`.
- Have an obvious "main" schema file: while you can now have as many schema files as you want, you'll still need a place where you define your `generator` block. We recommend having a single schema file that's obviously the "main" file so that this block is easy to find. `main.prisma`, `schema.prisma`, and `base.prisma` are a few we've seen that work well.

### Examples

Our fork of [`dub` by dub.co](https://github.com/prisma/dub) is a great example of a real world project adapted to use a multi-file Prisma Schema.
