FAQ Library
Supabase backend
Authentication, database, storage and edge functions on Supabase.
- What is Supabase?Supabase is an open-source backend platform with Postgres, authentication, storage, edge functions and realtime — the building blocks every SaaS needs.
- Why did Blanca's Builder pick Supabase?Because it is Postgres-first (no proprietary data model), open source, generous free tier and gives you direct SQL access. Your data stays portable.
- Do I need my own Supabase account?No. Blanca's Builder provisions and manages a Supabase project automatically for every workspace that needs one.
- Can I bring my own Supabase project?Yes, on Builder and higher. Connect your project URL and service-role key in Settings, Integrations, Supabase. The platform respects your existing schema.
- How is authentication handled?Supabase Auth manages sign-up, sign-in, OAuth, magic links and password reset. Sessions are JWTs with secure refresh tokens issued by Supabase.
- What is Row Level Security (RLS) and why does it matter?RLS lets the database enforce who can read or write each row. It is the foundation of multi-tenant SaaS on Supabase and Blanca's Builder enables it by default.
- My RLS policy blocks the wrong rows. How do I debug?Check the policy expression against the current auth.uid(), test in SQL Editor with set role, and remember to GRANT table access to authenticated. The Knowledge Center has a full RLS recipe.
- How does Supabase Storage work?Files are stored in S3-compatible buckets with RLS-style policies. Upload directly from the browser with signed URLs — no proxy through your server.
- When should I use Supabase Edge Functions?Use them for code that needs the Supabase service role (webhooks, admin tasks, third-party calls). Use TanStack server functions for normal app logic.
- Does Supabase Realtime work with Blanca's Builder?Yes. Realtime delivers Postgres CDC events over WebSockets. Perfect for chat, presence and live dashboards.
- Can I store vector embeddings in Supabase?Yes. The pgvector extension is enabled. Blanca's Builder's Memory Bank stores embeddings there with HNSW indexes.
- How are Supabase backups handled?Daily full backups and point-in-time recovery (PITR) for Pro and above. Backups are encrypted and retained for 30 days; longer retention is configurable.
- How do I run database migrations?Use the Supabase CLI with SQL files in supabase/migrations. The platform runs them automatically on deploy. Never edit production schema by hand.
- Can I run raw SQL on my database?Yes, in the Supabase Studio SQL Editor or via psql with your connection string. Read-only queries are safe; mutations should go through migrations.
- Which Postgres extensions are available?pgvector, pg_trgm, pgcrypto, pgjwt, http, pg_cron, pgsodium and many more. Enable them in Database, Extensions.
- How much does Supabase cost?The free tier covers small projects. Pro starts at $25/month per project with 8 GB database and 100 GB egress. Blanca's Builder bundles the cost into your plan.
- Can I choose Supabase region for GDPR?Yes. EU regions (Frankfurt, Stockholm, Dublin, Paris) are available. Pick at project creation; migration between regions is possible but requires a maintenance window.
- Supabase vs Firebase — which is better?Supabase uses SQL and is open source; Firebase uses NoSQL and is proprietary. For most SaaS the relational model and portability of Postgres win.
- What happens if Supabase has an outage?Auth fails until it recovers. Static pages stay up via Cloudflare's edge cache. The system-health page surfaces Supabase status and degrades gracefully.
- Where do I store secrets used by Edge Functions?In Supabase, Settings, Edge Functions, Secrets. Never commit secrets to your repository. Rotate at least once per quarter.