InstantDB Usage Rules

InstantDB Usage Rules

Database Schema Rules

MUST

• All schema changes MUST be made in instant.schema.ts
• All entities MUST include teamId for multi-tenancy
• All user-generated content MUST include creatorId when possible
• Timestamps (createdAt, updatedAt, deletedAt) MUST be optional but indexed when present
• Unique fields MUST be marked as both .unique() and .indexed()
• Frequently queried fields MUST be indexed

MUST NOT

• Never modify schema directly in production without migration strategy
• Never create entities without considering team-based access control
• Never use hard deletes - always use soft deletes with deletedAt

Query Rules

MUST

• Always handle isLoading state in components using useQuery
• Always handle error state in components using useQuery
• Use deferred queries (query = user ? {...} : null) when dependencies aren’t ready
• Include team filtering in all queries to maintain multi-tenancy

MUST NOT

• Never ignore loading or error states in UI components
• Never query without considering team-based permissions
• Never use client-side filtering for large datasets - use server-side where clauses

Transaction Rules

MUST

• Use transact inside useEffect or event handlers only
• Always use id() for generating new entity IDs
• Include teamId in all entity creation transactions
• Use batch transactions for related operations

MUST NOT

• Never call transact during component render
• Never create entities without proper team association
• Never use string literals for entity IDs

Authentication Rules

MUST

• Always check user existence before rendering authenticated content
• Handle authentication loading states with proper UI feedback
• Use db.useAuth() hook for authentication state management

MUST NOT

• Never store sensitive data in client-side state
• Never bypass authentication checks for protected operations