Introduction

Cerial is a schema-first ORM for SurrealDB that generates a fully typed TypeScript client from .cerial schema files. If you've used Prisma, the workflow will feel familiar — define your data models in a dedicated schema language, run a generator, and get a type-safe client with IntelliSense for every query.

Why Cerial?

SurrealDB is a multi-model database that supports documents, graph relations, and real-time queries out of the box. Cerial bridges the gap between SurrealDB's flexible query language (SurrealQL) and TypeScript's type system so you can:

• Define schemas declaratively — Models, relations, embedded objects, tuples, enums, and literal types in a clean syntax.
• Generate types automatically — Every model, field, and relation produces precise TypeScript types. Select and include options narrow return types dynamically.
• Query with confidence — Parameterized queries, lazy execution via CerialQueryPromise, transactions, and full CRUD with nested relation operations.
• Stay in sync — Schema changes regenerate types and auto-generate SurrealQL migration statements (DEFINE TABLE, DEFINE FIELD, DEFINE INDEX).

Who is it for?

Cerial is built for TypeScript developers who want a structured, type-safe layer on top of SurrealDB. It works with Node.js 20+, Bun, and Deno. Whether you're building a REST API, a real-time app, or a CLI tool backed by SurrealDB, Cerial keeps your data layer predictable and your types honest.

Next Steps

Head to Getting Started to install Cerial, define your first schema, and run your first query.