Reference
Version · 6.0
Change Automation Reference

createDatabase

Last updated: August 12, 2026

Creates a new database in Snowflake. Supports creating standard databases, transient databases, and replica databases from primary databases in other accounts.

Note: Automatic rollback drops the database.

Known limitation: This change type does not support database inspection features (snapshot, diff, diff-changelog, and generate-changelog commands).

Available attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`databaseName`	String	Name of the database to create	Yes
`replaceIfExists`	Boolean	Replace the database if it already exists using `OR REPLACE`	No
`ifNotExists`	Boolean	Only create the database if it doesn't exist using `IF NOT EXISTS`*	No
`comment`	String	Comment describing the database	No
`standardDatabase`	Nested	Configuration for standard/transient database	No*
`replicaDatabase`	Nested	Configuration for replica database	No*

* replaceIfExists and ifNotExists are mutually exclusive. Exactly one of standardDatabase or replicaDatabase must be specified.

standardDatabase attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`isTransient`	Boolean	Create a transient database	No
`dataRetentionTimeInDays`	Integer	Days to retain data for Time Travel (0-90)	No
`maxDataExtensionTimeInDays`	Integer	Maximum days Time Travel retention can be extended	No
`defaultDdlCollation`	String	Default collation for objects in the database	No
`storageSerializationPolicy`	String	Storage format policy (`COMPATIBLE` or `OPTIMIZED`)	No
`externalVolume`	String	External volume for Iceberg tables	No
`catalog`	String	Catalog integration for Iceberg tables	No
`replaceInvalidCharacters`	String	Replace invalid UTF-8 characters in Iceberg tables	No
`tags`	Nested	Key-value pairs of tags to apply	No
`contacts`	Nested	Key-value pairs mapping contact purposes to names	No

standardDatabase nested elements

tags - Key-value pairs of tags to apply:

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
key	String	Tag name (simple, schema-qualified, or fully-qualified)	Yes
value	String	Tag value	Yes

Contacts - Key-value pairs mapping contact purposes to contact names:

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
key	String	Contact purpose: `steward`, `support`, or `approver`	Yes
value	String	Name of existing contact object (simple, schema, or fully qualified)	Yes

replicaDatabase attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Required
`primaryAccount`	String	Account identifier of the primary database	Yes
`primaryDatabase`	String	Name of the primary database to replicate	Yes
`dataRetentionTimeInDays`	Integer	Days to retain data for Time Travel	No
`maxDataExtensionTimeInDays`	Integer	Maximum days Time Travel retention can be extended	No

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<databaseChangeLog
        xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
        xmlns:pro-snowflake="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake"
        xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
        xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake/liquibase-pro-snowflake-latest.xsd">

    <!-- Standard database with full configuration -->
    <changeSet id="create-standard-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="MY_DATABASE"
            comment="Standard database with full configuration"
            ifNotExists="true">
            <pro-snowflake:standardDatabase
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="7"
                maxDataExtensionTimeInDays="14"
                defaultDdlCollation="en_US"
                storageSerializationPolicy="COMPATIBLE">
                <pro-snowflake:tags>
                    <pro-snowflake:entry key="PUBLIC.environment" value="production"/>
                </pro-snowflake:tags>
            </pro-snowflake:standardDatabase>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Transient database -->
    <changeSet id="create-transient-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="TEMP_DATABASE"
            comment="Transient database for temporary data">
            <pro-snowflake:standardDatabase
                isTransient="true"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="1"/>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Replica database -->
    <changeSet id="create-replica-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="REPLICA_DATABASE"
            comment="Replica of primary database">
            <pro-snowflake:replicaDatabase
                primaryAccount="MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT"
                primaryDatabase="PRIMARY_DB"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="2"/>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

</databaseChangeLog>

{
  "databaseChangeLog": [
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "create-standard-database",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "createDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "MY_DATABASE",
              "comment": "Standard database with full configuration",
              "ifNotExists": true,
              "standardDatabase": {
                "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 7,
                "maxDataExtensionTimeInDays": 14,
                "defaultDdlCollation": "en_US",
                "storageSerializationPolicy": "COMPATIBLE"
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "create-transient-database",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "createDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "TEMP_DATABASE",
              "comment": "Transient database for temporary data",
              "standardDatabase": {
                "isTransient": true,
                "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 1
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

databaseChangeLog:
  #Standard database with full configuration
  - changeSet:
      id: create-standard-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: MY_DATABASE
            comment: Standard database with full configuration
            ifNotExists: true
            standardDatabase:
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 7
              maxDataExtensionTimeInDays: 14
              defaultDdlCollation: en_US
              storageSerializationPolicy: COMPATIBLE
              tags:
                entries:
                  - entry:
                      key: PUBLIC.environment
                      value: production
              contacts:
                entries:
                  - entry:
                      key: steward
                      value: db_steward

  #Transient database
  - changeSet:
      id: create-transient-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: TEMP_DATABASE
            comment: Transient database for temporary data
            standardDatabase:
              isTransient: true
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 1

  #Replica database
  - changeSet:
      id: create-replica-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: REPLICA_DATABASE
            comment: Replica of primary database
            replicaDatabase:
              primaryAccount: MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT
              primaryDatabase: PRIMARY_DB
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 2

--liquibase formatted sql

--changeset examples:standard-database-with-full-configuration
-- Standard database with full configuration
CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS MY_DATABASE
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 7
    MAX_DATA_EXTENSION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 14
    DEFAULT_DDL_COLLATION = 'en_US'
    STORAGE_SERIALIZATION_POLICY = COMPATIBLE
    TAG (PUBLIC.environment = 'production', PUBLIC.cost_center = 'engineering')
    WITH CONTACT (STEWARD = db_steward, SUPPORT = db_support)
    COMMENT = 'Standard database with full configuration';

--changeset examples:transient-database
-- Transient database
CREATE TRANSIENT DATABASE TEMP_DATABASE
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 1
    COMMENT = 'Transient database for temporary data';

--changeset examples:replica-database
-- Replica database
CREATE DATABASE REPLICA_DATABASE
    AS REPLICA OF MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT.PRIMARY_DB
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 2
    COMMENT = 'Replica of primary database';

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<databaseChangeLog
        xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
        xmlns:pro-snowflake="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake"
        xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
        xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/pro-snowflake/liquibase-pro-snowflake-latest.xsd">

    <!-- Standard database with full configuration -->
    <changeSet id="create-standard-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="MY_DATABASE"
            comment="Standard database with full configuration"
            ifNotExists="true">
            <pro-snowflake:standardDatabase
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="7"
                maxDataExtensionTimeInDays="14"
                defaultDdlCollation="en_US"
                storageSerializationPolicy="COMPATIBLE">
                <pro-snowflake:tags>
                    <pro-snowflake:entry key="PUBLIC.environment" value="production"/>
                </pro-snowflake:tags>
            </pro-snowflake:standardDatabase>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Transient database -->
    <changeSet id="create-transient-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="TEMP_DATABASE"
            comment="Transient database for temporary data">
            <pro-snowflake:standardDatabase
                isTransient="true"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="1"/>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

    <!-- Replica database -->
    <changeSet id="create-replica-database" author="examples">
        <pro-snowflake:createDatabase
            databaseName="REPLICA_DATABASE"
            comment="Replica of primary database">
            <pro-snowflake:replicaDatabase
                primaryAccount="MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT"
                primaryDatabase="PRIMARY_DB"
                dataRetentionTimeInDays="2"/>
        </pro-snowflake:createDatabase>
    </changeSet>

</databaseChangeLog>

{
  "databaseChangeLog": [
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "create-standard-database",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "createDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "MY_DATABASE",
              "comment": "Standard database with full configuration",
              "ifNotExists": true,
              "standardDatabase": {
                "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 7,
                "maxDataExtensionTimeInDays": 14,
                "defaultDdlCollation": "en_US",
                "storageSerializationPolicy": "COMPATIBLE"
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "changeSet": {
        "id": "create-transient-database",
        "author": "examples",
        "changes": [
          {
            "createDatabase": {
              "databaseName": "TEMP_DATABASE",
              "comment": "Transient database for temporary data",
              "standardDatabase": {
                "isTransient": true,
                "dataRetentionTimeInDays": 1
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

databaseChangeLog:
  #Standard database with full configuration
  - changeSet:
      id: create-standard-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: MY_DATABASE
            comment: Standard database with full configuration
            ifNotExists: true
            standardDatabase:
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 7
              maxDataExtensionTimeInDays: 14
              defaultDdlCollation: en_US
              storageSerializationPolicy: COMPATIBLE
              tags:
                entries:
                  - entry:
                      key: PUBLIC.environment
                      value: production
              contacts:
                entries:
                  - entry:
                      key: steward
                      value: db_steward

  #Transient database
  - changeSet:
      id: create-transient-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: TEMP_DATABASE
            comment: Transient database for temporary data
            standardDatabase:
              isTransient: true
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 1

  #Replica database
  - changeSet:
      id: create-replica-database
      author: examples
      changes:
        - createDatabase:
            databaseName: REPLICA_DATABASE
            comment: Replica of primary database
            replicaDatabase:
              primaryAccount: MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT
              primaryDatabase: PRIMARY_DB
              dataRetentionTimeInDays: 2

--liquibase formatted sql

--changeset examples:standard-database-with-full-configuration
-- Standard database with full configuration
CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS MY_DATABASE
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 7
    MAX_DATA_EXTENSION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 14
    DEFAULT_DDL_COLLATION = 'en_US'
    STORAGE_SERIALIZATION_POLICY = COMPATIBLE
    TAG (PUBLIC.environment = 'production', PUBLIC.cost_center = 'engineering')
    WITH CONTACT (STEWARD = db_steward, SUPPORT = db_support)
    COMMENT = 'Standard database with full configuration';

--changeset examples:transient-database
-- Transient database
CREATE TRANSIENT DATABASE TEMP_DATABASE
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 1
    COMMENT = 'Transient database for temporary data';

--changeset examples:replica-database
-- Replica database
CREATE DATABASE REPLICA_DATABASE
    AS REPLICA OF MYORG.PRIMARY_ACCOUNT.PRIMARY_DB
    DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS = 2
    COMMENT = 'Replica of primary database';

PreviousColumnStandardTable NextCreateDatabaseFromShare

createDatabase

Available attributes

standardDatabase attributes

standardDatabase nested elements

replicaDatabase attributes

XML example

JSON example

YAML example

SQL example