Persistence

SQLite

Use embedded SQLite in Rivet Actors with raw SQL queries.

What is SQLite?

Database per actor: each actor instance has its own SQLite database, scoped to that actor.
High performance: Rivet Actors keep compute and storage together, so queries avoid network round trips to an external database.
Larger-than-memory storage: SQLite stores data on disk, so you can work with datasets that do not fit in actor memory.
Embedded relational database: use tables, indexes, and SQL queries directly inside actor logic.

SQLite features

Indexes: speed up lookups on frequently queried fields.
Search and filtering: use WHERE, LIKE, and ORDER BY instead of manual in-memory loops.
Relationships: use multiple tables and JOIN queries for connected data.
Constraints: use primary keys, unique constraints, and foreign keys for data integrity.
Transactions: apply multiple writes atomically when changes must stay consistent.

Raw SQL vs ORM (Drizzle)

Rivet supports both raw SQL and Drizzle for actor-local SQLite.

Use raw SQL when you want direct query control and minimal abstraction.

await c.db.execute("INSERT INTO todos (title) VALUES (?)", title);
const rows = await c.db.execute("SELECT id, title FROM todos ORDER BY id DESC");

Use Drizzle when you want typed schema and typed query APIs.

await c.vars.drizzle.insert(todos).values({ title });
const rows = await c.vars.drizzle.select().from(todos).orderBy(desc(todos.id));

You can mix both in the same actor.

For Drizzle setup, see SQLite + Drizzle.

Basic setup

Define db: db({ onMigrate }) on your actor, create your schema in onMigrate, and execute SQL with c.db.execute(...).

import { actor, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { db } from "rivetkit/db";

export const todoList = actor({
  db: db({
    onMigrate: async (db) => {
      await db.execute(`
        CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS todos (
          id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
          title TEXT NOT NULL
        );
      `);

      await db.execute(`
        CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS comments (
          id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
          todo_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
          body TEXT NOT NULL,
          FOREIGN KEY(todo_id) REFERENCES todos(id)
        );
      `);
    },
  }),
  actions: {
    addTodo: async (c, title: string) => {
      await c.db.execute("INSERT INTO todos (title) VALUES (?)", title);
    },
    addComment: async (c, todoId: number, body: string) => {
      await c.db.execute(
        "INSERT INTO comments (todo_id, body) VALUES (?, ?)",
        todoId,
        body,
      );
    },
    getTodos: async (c) => {
      return (await c.db.execute(
        "SELECT id, title FROM todos ORDER BY id DESC",
      )) as {
        id: number;
        title: string;
      }[];
    },
  },
});

export const registry = setup({ use: { todoList } });

import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
import type { registry } from "./actors";

const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
const handle = client.todoList.getOrCreate(["main"]);

await handle.addTodo("Write SQLite docs");
await handle.addTodo("Ship docs update");

const todos = await handle.getTodos();
console.log(todos);

Queries

c.db.execute(...) returns an array of row objects for SELECT queries.

const rows = await c.db.execute(
  "SELECT id, title FROM todos WHERE title LIKE ?",
  `%${query}%`,
);

Parameterized queries

Use ? placeholders for dynamic values and pass parameters in order after the SQL string.

await c.db.execute("INSERT INTO todos (title) VALUES (?)", title);

Transactions

Use transactions when multiple writes must succeed or fail together.

Start with BEGIN.
End with COMMIT if all queries succeed.
On error, run ROLLBACK and rethrow.
A transaction is global for the entire shared c.db connection. Be careful with other interleaved queries.

await c.db.execute("BEGIN");

try {
  await c.db.execute("INSERT INTO todos (title) VALUES (?)", title);
  await c.db.execute(
    "INSERT INTO comments (todo_id, body) VALUES (last_insert_rowid(), ?)",
    body,
  );
  await c.db.execute("COMMIT");
} catch (error) {
  await c.db.execute("ROLLBACK");
  throw error;
}

Queues

It’s recommended to use queues for mutations and actions for read-only queries. This is the same code structure as the basic setup, but mutation writes are routed through queues.

import { actor, queue, setup } from "rivetkit";
import { db } from "rivetkit/db";

export const todoList = actor({
  db: db({
    onMigrate: async (db) => {
      await db.execute(`
        CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS todos (
          id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
          title TEXT NOT NULL
        );
      `);

      await db.execute(`
        CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS comments (
          id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
          todo_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
          body TEXT NOT NULL,
          FOREIGN KEY(todo_id) REFERENCES todos(id)
        );
      `);
    },
  }),
  queues: {
    addTodo: queue<{ title: string }>(),
    addComment: queue<{ todoId: number; body: string }>(),
  },
  run: async (c) => {
    for await (const message of c.queue.iter()) {
      if (message.name === "addTodo") {
        await c.db.execute("INSERT INTO todos (title) VALUES (?)", message.body.title);
      } else if (message.name === "addComment") {
        await c.db.execute(
          "INSERT INTO comments (todo_id, body) VALUES (?, ?)",
          message.body.todoId,
          message.body.body,
        );
      }
    }
  },
  actions: {
    getTodos: async (c) => {
      return (await c.db.execute(
        "SELECT id, title FROM todos ORDER BY id DESC",
      )) as {
        id: number;
        title: string;
      }[];
    },
  },
});

export const registry = setup({ use: { todoList } });

import { createClient } from "rivetkit/client";
import type { registry } from "./actors";

const client = createClient<typeof registry>();
const handle = client.todoList.getOrCreate(["main"]);

await handle.send("addTodo", { title: "Write SQLite docs" });
await handle.send("addTodo", { title: "Ship docs update" });

const todos = await handle.getTodos();
console.log(todos);

Debugging

GET /inspector/summary includes isDatabaseEnabled so you can confirm SQLite is configured.
GET /inspector/traces helps inspect slow query paths and SQL-heavy actions.
Keep a small read-only action for quick query verification while debugging.
In non-dev mode, inspector endpoints require authorization.

Recommendations

Keep schema creation and migration steps in onMigrate.
Use ? placeholders for dynamic values.
Prefer queue-driven writes for ordered or background work.
Use transactions for related multi-step mutations when atomicity matters.