Fix N+1 query performance issues with Prisma
The N+1 problem occurs when your code makes one query to fetch a list, then N additional queries to fetch related data for each item. With Prisma, this often happens when accessing relations in loops without eager loading.
Error messages you might see
PrismaClientKnownRequestError: Too many database connections openedError: Connection pool timeout: Unable to acquire a connection from the poolWhy this happens in AI-generated code
Accessing relations without include or select
AI-generated code accesses Prisma relations in loops (e.g., user.posts in a forEach) without using include or select, triggering a separate query for each relation access.
Lazy loading relations in API responses
AI tools generate API handlers that serialize Prisma models with relations, not realizing that accessing each relation triggers an additional database query.
Nested loops with database calls
AI-generated code puts Prisma queries inside nested loops (for each order, for each item, fetch product), creating exponential query growth that overwhelms the connection pool.
How to fix it
Use include or select to eager load relations
Add include: { posts: true } or select with nested relations to your Prisma query to fetch all related data in a single query instead of N separate ones.
Use findMany with where-in instead of loops
Replace loops that query one record at a time with a single findMany query using a where: { id: { in: ids } } clause to batch the lookup.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I detect N+1 queries in Prisma?
Enable Prisma query logging with `log: ['query']` in your PrismaClient constructor. Watch for repeated similar queries in your logs. Tools like prisma-query-log can format these for easier reading.
Does Prisma have a built-in solution for N+1?
Prisma uses a query engine that batches some queries automatically, but it doesn't solve all N+1 cases. You must explicitly use include, select, or findMany with in-filters for optimal performance.
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