Custom Tables | SQL Schema

:nuxt: Help me understand how Better-Auth works with the DB.

Better-Auth has its required core schema for the 4 core tables. For

id

id

uses

string

string

[I'm looking at the core schema] and the generated SQL gets a

text

text

type, for example.

If I create all tables on my own [Better-Auth Tables + other needed tables] and set that up at the DB level, does the
```
auth
```
```
auth
```
instance still need to know about all of them, i.e. via me configuring the
```
better-auth
```
```
better-auth
```
object [for a custom field I added on the
```
user
```
```
user
```
table] and creating my own plugin [for the extra tables]?
Also, if I, upon creating my DB tables, set the
```
id
```
```
id
```
PK field to
```
uuid
```
```
uuid
```
, will
```
better-auth
```
```
better-auth
```
have problems with that?
On my
```
user
```
```
user
```
table, I (want to) have a
```
user_type
```
```
user_type
```
field which is a PostgreSQL Enum Type [just a couple of string options]. I can't set that on Better-Auth, as it only accepts string, number, etc. - is it okay for me, when configuring
```
better-auth
```
```
better-auth
```
, to set the field type as
```
string
```
```
string
```
, when it is, in reality [at the DB level] an enum?
Does Better-Auth rely on the DB to auto, randomly generate the IDs or does it pass the id on every, say, user creation, for instance?

I'm asking this because the SQL generated by Better-Auth is kinda different from what I'd like. So I was thinking of creating all tables on my own.
But then I think I need to tell better-auth about them, and here comes the question about the Better-Auth accepted TS types vs PostgreSQL types I need.

PS: I'm working with Nuxt, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM [though I'm trying to avoid the latter, if I can]

Karamazov89•4/13/25, 1:08 PM

Also interested in answers to the above questions - in particular, why can't we use

uuid

uuid

for PK fields

AA Microcosm of the Macrocosm :nuxt: Help me understand how Better-Auth works with the DB. Better-Auth has it...

bekacru•4/13/25, 3:16 PM

not exactly. Only if you extend the user table make sure to add additional fields in your auth config.
no. but you need to disable the default id generation by setting to
```
false
```
```
false
```
On Better Auth additional fields config you can pass a literal array as a type and it'll be inferred as an enum/union
if you don't disable generateId, it'll auto gen id itself

Bbekacru 1. not exactly. Only if you extend the user table make sure to add additional fi...

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/13/25, 3:27 PM

Thank you very much.
Lemme see if I got this straight:

for the custom tables, I can create them on the database and that's all. I don't need to tell
```
better-auth
```
```
better-auth
```
about them via a custom plugin, stating the extra tables, etc., right?
regarding the
```
user
```
```
user
```
table, it will have an additional field (
```
user_type
```
```
user_type
```
), I'll add that to the user's
```
additionalFields
```
```
additionalFields
```
when setting up the
```
auth
```
```
auth
```
instance. For the type of this
```
user_type
```
```
user_type
```
I didn't get to set
```
string[]
```
```
string[]
```
or .
Could you help me out saying what exactly I need to type the
```
user_type
```
```
user_type
```
with?
Okay. For the
```
id
```
```
id
```
s, I'll just have them as
```
uuid
```
```
uuid
```
, to be default generated with , and disable better-auth's default id generation when setting up the
```
auth
```
```
auth
```
object.

AA Microcosm of the Macrocosm Thank you very much. Lemme see if I got this straight: 1. for the custom tables,...

bekacru•4/13/25, 3:30 PM

Bbekacru 1. yes 2. ```ts user: { additionalFields: { user_type: ["user1", "user2"]...

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/13/25, 3:32 PM

Fascinating.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'll work on my Nuxt Project setup then.

If you need any help, please let us know how we can help you out.

Thank you.

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/22/25, 6:13 AM

@bekacru
Sorry for the ping, but...
... using a string literal array [as you suggested] for a type [so it can be mapped to a pg enum], I get an error when I try to generate the schema via the BA CLI

My

auth

auth

object looks like

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/22/25, 6:13 AM

Error:

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/22/25, 6:17 AM

By using , I don't get the error and the generated schema has , but that isn't what I wanted. I wanted it to be mapped to an enum with the coupla values possible.

AA Microcosm of the Macrocosm @bekacru Sorry for the ping, but... ... using a string literal array [as you s...

bekacru•4/22/25, 6:25 AM

hey I don't think db enum values are supported. I suggested the above cause I thought you need the type hiniting

Bbekacru hey I don't think db enum values are supported. I suggested the above cause I th...

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/22/25, 6:38 AM

I'd be okay with the type hinting, at least, since these are the two values I'd expect and enforce.

For the actual types, I'd infer them from the edited table schemas. The thing is I can't even type the additional field with .
Maybe I'll have to just type it with string and then edit the generated schema - create the pgEnum and properly type the table field.

I just don't know if better-auth is going to be okay with that

AA Microcosm of the Macrocosm I'd be okay with the type hinting, at least, since these are the two values I'd ...

bekacru•4/22/25, 6:48 AM

The thing is I can't even type the additional field with ["AP", "HF"].

you mean it's not being inferred as union?

AA Microcosm of the Macrocosm I'd be okay with the type hinting, at least, since these are the two values I'd ...

bekacru•4/22/25, 6:49 AM

Maybe I'll have to just type it with string and then edit the generated schema - create the pgEnum and properly type the table field.

it might be okay to do this

Bbekacru > The thing is I can't even type the additional field with ["AP", "HF"]. you mea...

A Microcosm of the MacrocosmOP•4/22/25, 6:57 AM

I don't even get to generate the schema having the additional field typed like that . I get the error I mentioned above.

However, now that I think about it...
TypeScript itself doesn't error out on that [on ]. So, if I just don't run the better-auth cli to generate the schema, then there we go, problem solved, hah. No BA CLI schema generation,no error