Sequelize "sequelize db:migrate" Fails in CI

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

sequelize-cli ran your migrations and one of two things went wrong: it could not connect to the database, or a migration’s up threw. The error text distinguishes a connectivity problem from a migration-content problem.

What this error means

npx sequelize-cli db:migrate fails either with a connection error (refused/access denied) before anything runs, or with a thrown error from inside a specific migration. The two need different fixes.

ERROR: connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:5432
# or
== 20240115-add-status: migrating =======
ERROR: column "status" of relation "orders" already exists

Common causes

Cannot connect - wrong config/env for this NODE_ENV

sequelize-cli reads config/config.js keyed by NODE_ENV. If the CI environment’s entry has the wrong host/port/credentials (or the database is not ready), the connection fails first.

A migration’s up() throws

A duplicate column, missing table, or constraint violation inside a migration makes db:migrate fail at that step. It is deterministic and points at the specific migration.

SequelizeMeta disagrees with the schema

If SequelizeMeta thinks a migration has not run but its objects exist (or vice versa), the next run re-applies or skips incorrectly and errors.

How to fix it

For connection errors, fix config and readiness

Make sure the config entry for the CI NODE_ENV matches the reachable database, and wait for it to be ready.

export NODE_ENV=test
until pg_isready -h "$DB_HOST" -p "$DB_PORT"; do sleep 1; done
npx sequelize-cli db:migrate

For a throwing migration, fix the SQL and run clean

1. Read which migration threw and why (already-exists vs missing object).
2. Run migrations against a fresh CI database so each up executes once.
3. Correct the migration if it genuinely conflicts with a prior one.

Reconcile SequelizeMeta

On a non-clean database, align the meta table with reality before continuing.

npx sequelize-cli db:migrate:status   # see applied vs pending

How to prevent it

• Set NODE_ENV and keep the matching config entry aligned with the CI database.
• Run migrations against an ephemeral database so each up runs once.
• Use db:migrate:status in CI to catch meta/schema drift.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation