The container was live, logs streaming fast, and you needed answers from Postgres now.
Keycloak was running, but the admin API wasn’t telling the whole story. To troubleshoot roles, users, and client sessions, you had to go straight to the Keycloak database. Pgcli made that fast.
Pgcli is a command-line interface for PostgreSQL with autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and smart prompts. When paired with a Keycloak instance, it lets you inspect the raw tables that drive authentication and authorization. You can jump from the user_entity table to realm without digging through API endpoints.
To connect, first identify your database container or host. In Docker, run:
docker exec -it keycloak-db-container bash
Install Pgcli inside or run it locally if your database is exposed:
pgcli -h localhost -p 5432 -U keycloak -d keycloak
Enter your password, and you have a live connection into Keycloak’s PostgreSQL store. From here, you can query the client table to verify configurations or scan user_role_mapping to debug permissions. Pgcli’s autocomplete helps you find table names without errors, even in a large Keycloak schema.
For production environments, ensure you have read-only credentials before connecting. Direct database access bypasses Keycloak’s service layer, so proceed with caution. Use Pgcli for diagnostics, data verification, and deeper analysis of identity flows.
Keycloak + Pgcli is a simple, powerful combo for developers who need precision. Stop guessing, connect directly, and see the truth in your data.
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