migronaut up

Run pending migrations — all of them, or a single named file.

migronaut up [file] [options]

Usage

migronaut up                      # run all pending migrations (one shared batch)
migronaut up <file>               # run a single migration by filename
migronaut up --to <file>          # run pending migrations up to and including that file
migronaut up --step               # apply each pending file as its own batch
migronaut up <file> --force --yes  # re-run an already-applied file (non-interactive)

How it works

With no argument, migronaut up resolves every file in the migrations directory that isn't already applied, sorted ascending, and runs them as one batch. A later migronaut down reverts that whole batch together.

✔ Applied  20260605120000-add-users-index.js     [42ms]
✔ Applied  20260605120500-backfill-status.js     [128ms]

If there's nothing to do:

Nothing to migrate

Options

Option	Description
[file]	Run only this migration file.
--to <file>	Apply pending migrations up to and including this file, leaving later ones pending.
--step	Apply each pending file as its own sequential batch, so they can later be rolled back one at a time.
-f, --force	Re-run an already-applied file (requires a [file]). Prompts for confirmation.
-y, --yes	Skip the confirmation prompt for --force (required in --json mode).
--strict	Override config: abort on a checksum mismatch instead of warning.
--no-lock	Skip the concurrency lock. Dev only — warns loudly.
--json	Emit the run results as a JSON array on stdout.

Plus the global flags: --uri, --db, --dir, --config.

--to — migrate to a point in the sequence

--to <file> applies every pending migration up to and including the named one, in filename order, and leaves everything after it pending:

migronaut up --to 20260605120500-backfill-status.js

Use it to stage a release in halves, or to bring a branch's database exactly as far as that branch's code expects — without hand-listing files.

It is idempotent: if the target is already applied, nothing before it is pending either, so the command is a no-op rather than an error. Running the same --to twice is safe.

--to names a point in the sequence, so it can't be combined with [file], --steps or --batch — those are different ways of choosing the same thing. Doing so exits with a validation error before connecting. An unknown filename exits with MIGRATION_FILE_NOT_FOUND (code 8).

Round trip

down --to <file> is the exact inverse: it reverts back to that same point, leaving the named file applied. up --to X then down --to X returns the database to where it was.

--step vs. the default batch model

migronaut up          # files A, B, C → batch 5 (all together)
migronaut up --step   # A → batch 5, B → batch 6, C → batch 7 (each its own batch)

Use --step when you want to peel migrations off individually later with migronaut down --steps.

Re-running an applied migration

By default an already-applied file is skipped. --force re-runs its up() and re-records it as a new batch. It requires a specific file (a bare migronaut up --force exits 6) and asks for y/N confirmation first — pass --yes to confirm non-interactively:

migronaut up 20260605120000-add-users-index.js --force --yes

WARNING

--force bypasses the checksum-mismatch guard — re-running is the explicit intent. In --json mode, --force without --yes is refused so automation never silently re-applies a migration.

Checksum behavior

Each file's SHA-256 is verified against what was recorded when it was applied. If a file changed:

• strict: false (default) → logs a warning and skips it.
• strict: true (or --strict) → throws ChecksumMismatchError and stops.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	All targeted migrations applied (or nothing to do).
3	Another process holds the migration lock.
4	An applied file was edited and --strict is on.
7	A migration threw. The batch stops at the first error.
8	The named file (or --to target) doesn't exist.
11	Stopped by SIGINT/SIGTERM — see context.results for what was applied.

See the full exit-code table for the rest. Anything unmapped is 1, so a script testing != 0 keeps working.