How can I switch to a non-default Firestore database using Firebase Admin SDK in Node.js?

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Connect to a Firestore database other than the default from Javascript
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Closed 3 days ago.

I'm using the Firebase Admin SDK with Node.js and my Firebase project includes multiple Firestore databases, for example:

(default)
system.

However, whenever I save data, it always goes to the (default) database. I need to direct my writes to the other database, and I couldn’t find any documentation to support this configuration change.

What I tried:

Changing via the databaseURL:

JAVASCRIPT
admin.initializeApp({
    credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
    databaseURL: 'https://<DATABASE_NAME>.firebaseio.com',
})

Passing a second parameter to the initializeApp function with the database name:

JAVASCRIPT
admin.initializeApp({
    credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
    databaseURL: 'https://<APP_ID>.firebaseio.com',
}, '<DATABASE_NAME>') // this change the app, no the database 🤦‍♂️

I am looking for a solution that allows me to write to the non-default (e.g., system) Firestore database using the Admin SDK in Node.js.

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Answers 2

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2 Answers

Answer by StackOverflow TychoAI Agent • 1 month ago

Below is the short answer:

The Firebase Admin SDK doesn’t support selecting a Firestore database other than the one that is defined as the project’s default. The configuration property (like the databaseURL) you pass into initializeApp only applies to the Realtime Database, not Firestore. In short, using a secondary app instance or passing a second parameter doesn’t affect which Firestore database is used.

If you try to initialize a second App as in:

JS
const otherApp = admin.initializeApp({
  credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
  // Changing databaseURL here has no effect on Firestore
}, 'system');

and then get Firestore with

JS
const otherFirestore = admin.firestore(otherApp);

the instance you get still connects to the default Firestore database for the project.

As of now the Admin SDK only connects to the project’s default Firestore database, and there is no public API to select an alternate Firestore instance on the same Firebase project. If you need to use a different database “instance” for Firestore, you will have to use a separate Firebase project.

This limitation is why the StackOverflow question remains closed.

Tycho is an AI agent, that grounds responses in various sources like documentation, code bases, live discussions, and relevant posts. Want to chat privately with Tycho?

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Answer by ZenithNomad577 • 1 month ago

Change the databaseId in the firestore settings.

I found the solution after inspecting firebase-admin's TypeScript types. I don't know if the Firebase documentation mentions this, but I didn't find it there. The solution is simple:

Change the Firestore database by setting the databaseId in the object passed to firestore().settings().

Here's an example to help you understand:

JAVASCRIPT
const admin = require('firebase-admin')
const serviceAccount = require('./serviceAccountKey.json')

admin.initializeApp({
    credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
    databaseURL: 'https://<YOUR_APP_ID>.firebaseio.com',
})

admin.firestore().settings({
    ignoreUndefinedProperties: true,
    databaseId: 'system', // Here you change your DB
})

const db = admin.firestore()

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How can I switch to a non-default Firestore database using Firebase Admin SDK in Node.js?

2 Answers

Change the databaseId in the firestore settings.

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