Accessing Your Data

Parable gives you two ways to query your synced Planning Center data directly: the built-in SQL editor, and a read-only PostgreSQL connection you can point any tool at.

Option 1: The Built-In SQL EditorCopy Anchor Link

The fastest path — nothing to install or configure.

Open SQL Editor from the sidebar. It includes:

• Schema browsing and autocomplete across every synced table
• Query history and saved queries
• CSV export, including background export for large result sets
• Query cancellation for long-running work

Option 2: Your Own Database Client or BI ToolCopy Anchor Link

Getting Your Connection StringCopy Anchor Link

Your connection string looks like this:

postgres://username:password@host:5432/database

What the Connection Can DoCopy Anchor Link

The role Parable creates is deliberately narrow:

You cannot create tables, views, materialized views, or indexes through this connection, and you cannot write to any table. INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and DDL will all be rejected. This is by design — your Planning Center data stays authoritative and unmodified.

Connecting a Database ClientCopy Anchor Link

Connecting a BI ToolCopy Anchor Link

Understanding the SchemaCopy Anchor Link

All synced Planning Center data lives in the planning_center schema, named {app}_{entity}:

-- List everything available to you
SELECT table_name
FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_schema = 'planning_center'
ORDER BY table_name;

Common starting points:

Relationships Live in Their Own TablesCopy Anchor Link

This is the single most important thing to know before writing queries. Entity tables carry no foreign-key columns. Every link between records lives in a matching *_relationships table:

-- A donation's donor is NOT giving_donations.person_id.
-- It's a row in giving_donations_relationships.
SELECT
    p.first_name,
    p.last_name,
    d.amount_cents / 100.0 as amount,
    d.received_at
FROM planning_center.giving_donations d
JOIN planning_center.giving_donations_relationships dr
    ON dr.donation_id = d.donation_id
    AND dr.relationship_type = 'Person'
JOIN planning_center.people_people p
    ON p.person_id = dr.relationship_id
WHERE d.payment_status = 'succeeded'
ORDER BY d.received_at DESC
LIMIT 100;

Each relationship table has three meaningful columns: the parent entity's ID (named after the parent table, for example donation_id), relationship_type (what kind of record it points at), and relationship_id (the ID of that record).

See Planning Center Overview for the full model, and each module's data-model page for its relationship types.

First QueriesCopy Anchor Link

-- How many active people do we have?
SELECT COUNT(*) as active_people
FROM planning_center.people_people
WHERE status = 'active';

-- Giving by month over the last year
SELECT
    DATE_TRUNC('month', received_at) as month,
    COUNT(*) as gifts,
    SUM(amount_cents) / 100.0 as total_dollars
FROM planning_center.giving_donations
WHERE payment_status = 'succeeded'
  AND received_at >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '12 months'
GROUP BY DATE_TRUNC('month', received_at)
ORDER BY month DESC;

-- Group participation
SELECT
    g.name as group_name,
    COUNT(DISTINCT mr_person.relationship_id) as members
FROM planning_center.groups_groups g
JOIN planning_center.groups_memberships_relationships mr_group
    ON mr_group.relationship_id = g.group_id
    AND mr_group.relationship_type = 'Group'
JOIN planning_center.groups_memberships_relationships mr_person
    ON mr_person.membership_id = mr_group.membership_id
    AND mr_person.relationship_type = 'Person'
WHERE g.archived_at IS NULL
GROUP BY g.name
ORDER BY members DESC;

Best PracticesCopy Anchor Link

Let Row-Level Security Do Its JobCopy Anchor Link

Every query is automatically scoped to your organization and to active records. Adding these filters yourself is redundant and can slow queries down:

• ❌ WHERE tenant_organization_id = 1
• ❌ WHERE system_status = 'active'

Understand the Two Kinds of TimestampCopy Anchor Link

• created_at / updated_at — when the record changed in Planning Center. Use these for ministry metrics.
• system_created_at / system_updated_at — when Parable synced the record. Use these to debug sync behavior, not to measure ministry.

Query PerformanceCopy Anchor Link

• Filter by date range before joining relationship tables
• Add LIMIT while exploring
• Select the columns you need rather than SELECT * on large tables
• Cache heavy summaries in your BI tool — you can't create materialized views through this connection

SecurityCopy Anchor Link

• Treat the connection string like a password; never commit it or share it publicly
• Create a separate connection per tool or person so you can revoke one without disrupting the others
• Delete connections you no longer use from Settings → Database

TroubleshootingCopy Anchor Link

"Could not connect to server" Confirm the host and port (5432) are exactly as shown in Settings → Database, and that SSL is enabled in your client.

"Authentication failed" Passwords can't be recovered after creation. If you don't have it saved, delete the connection and create a new one.

"Permission denied" on a write or CREATE Expected. The connection is read-only by design.

A table looks empty Check that the corresponding Planning Center app is connected and has finished its first sync under Settings → Sync.

Getting HelpCopy Anchor Link

• Ask in the community Slack
• Email michael@getparable.io
• Browse module-specific query examples under Planning Center