# Format and validate your Prisma schema file with consistent structure

The `prisma format` command formats your Prisma schema file. It validates, formats, and persists the schema.

## Usage

```
prisma format [options]
```

## Options

| Option               | Description                                       |
|----------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| `-h`, `--help`      | Display help message                               |
| `--config`          | Custom path to your Prisma config file            |
| `--schema`          | Custom path to your Prisma schema                  |

## Examples

### Format the default schema

npm

pnpm

yarn

bun

```
npx prisma format
```

Output on success:

```
Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Formatted prisma/schema.prisma in 116ms
```

### Format a specific schema

npm

pnpm

yarn

bun

```
npx prisma format --schema=./alternative/schema.prisma
```

## Error output

If the schema has validation errors, formatting will fail:

```
Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma/schema.prisma
Error: Schema validation error - Error (query-engine-node-api library)
Error code: P1012
error: The preview feature "unknownFeatureFlag" is not known. Expected one of: [...]
  schema.prisma:3
   |
 2 |     provider        = "prisma-client"
 3 |     previewFeatures = ["unknownFeatureFlag"]
   |

Validation Error Count: 1
```