@dotdo/db-rpc

RPC client database adapter for Payload CMS. Connects to a remote @dotdo/db-rpc-server over HTTP or WebSocket.

Installation

pnpm add @dotdo/db-rpc

Usage

import { buildConfig } from 'payload'
import { rpcAdapter } from '@dotdo/db-rpc'

export default buildConfig({
  db: rpcAdapter({
    url: 'https://db-server.example.com/rpc',
    token: process.env.DB_RPC_TOKEN,
  }),
  // ... rest of config
})

Configuration Options

Transport Types

HTTP (Default)

Uses HTTP batch mode via capnweb. Multiple RPC calls are batched into a single HTTP request, making it efficient for typical request/response patterns.

rpcAdapter({
  url: 'https://db-server.example.com/rpc',
  token: 'your-token',
  transport: 'http', // default
})

WebSocket

Uses a persistent WebSocket connection. Better for real-time or high-frequency operations where connection overhead matters.

rpcAdapter({
  url: 'wss://db-server.example.com/rpc',
  token: 'your-token',
  transport: 'websocket',
})

Authentication

The adapter uses bearer token authentication. The token is validated by the server using Payload's built-in auth system, supporting:

• JWT tokens - Obtained from payload.login()
• API keys - If configured in your Payload users collection

Static Token

rpcAdapter({
  url: 'https://db-server.example.com/rpc',
  token: process.env.DB_RPC_TOKEN,
})

Dynamic Token (for token refresh)

rpcAdapter({
  url: 'https://db-server.example.com/rpc',
  token: async () => {
    // Fetch fresh token from your auth service
    const response = await fetch('/api/get-db-token')
    const { token } = await response.json()
    return token
  },
})

Limitations

• Migrations: Cannot be run over RPC. Run migrations directly on the server.
• Direct Database Access: No raw database queries. All operations go through Payload's adapter interface.

How It Works

1. Client calls payload.create(), payload.find(), etc.
2. The RPC adapter serializes the call using capnweb
3. Request is sent to the server over HTTP or WebSocket
4. Server validates the token, executes the operation on the underlying database
5. Result is serialized and returned to the client

Related

• @dotdo/db-rpc-server - The server component
• capnweb - The underlying RPC library
• Payload Docs