How to connect to a PostgreSQL database running in Docker

A PostgreSQL container is not special to connect to — it is just a host and a port. The only trick is making sure the port is published to your machine, then pointing a client at it. Here is the whole path.

1. Publish the port

When you run the container, map the container's 5432 to a port on your host with -p:

docker run --name pg -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret -p 5432:5432 -d postgres

The -p 5432:5432 is the important part — it exposes Postgres on localhost:5432. If 5432 is already taken on your machine, publish a different host port, e.g. -p 5433:5432, and use 5433 below.

Using Docker Compose, the equivalent is:

services:
  db:
    image: postgres
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: secret
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"

2. Build the connection string

Point your client at the host port you published:

postgresql://postgres:secret@localhost:5432/postgres

• host localhost (the container is reachable on your machine's loopback)
• port whatever you published on the host side of -p
• user / password from the container's environment
• database postgres by default, or whatever you created

3. Connect

In JustDB, paste that connection string and connect. There is nothing Docker-specific to configure — a container is just another host and port. Once connected, browse tables, run SQL and edit rows like any other database.

If it won't connect

• Container not running? Check docker ps — it should list the container with the port mapping.
• Port not published? A container without -p is only reachable from inside Docker's network, not from your host. Add the mapping and restart it.
• Port clash? If another Postgres already owns 5432, publish on a different host port and use that in the connection string.

Why JustDB for this

• No Docker-specific setup — point it at localhost and the published port.
• Local, Docker or hosted Postgres over TLS, all the same way.
• Free, native, no signup on macOS and Windows.

Connect to your Dockerized Postgres →