How to Record TablePlus
Record TablePlus on staging databases, not production. Guide for SQL tutorials, schema walkthroughs, and data investigation recordings.
When you’d need to record TablePlus
Database schema tutorials
Record table structure walkthroughs — columns, types, indexes, foreign keys. Show the Structure tab for each table while explaining your schema design decisions. Visual schema explanation beats an ER diagram.
SQL query demonstrations
Record writing and running SQL queries — show the query editor, execute with Cmd+Enter, examine results in the table view. Query tutorials need to show both the SQL and the result set.
Database debugging for teams
Record a data investigation — filter records, inspect specific rows, check foreign key relationships. Share with the team instead of pasting SQL output into Slack.
Migration and data import walkthroughs
Record database migration processes — import CSV, run migration scripts, verify data integrity. Show the before state, run the migration, verify the after state.
Recommended settings
Things to know
- •TablePlus shows actual database content — user records, emails, passwords (even hashed ones), and business data
- •The connection list shows server hostnames, ports, and database names for all your connections
- •SQL query results render in a compact table with small text — column values can be long strings truncated
- •TablePlus's saved queries may contain sensitive WHERE clauses referencing specific users or data
Step-by-step
- 1
In Screenify Studio, select Window Capture and pick the TablePlus window.
Record at 1440p — database grids with 11px monospace text need resolution to stay readable.
- 2
Open TablePlus. Review the connection list — connection names show server hostnames and database names ('prod-db.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com / users_production'). Use a local/staging connection for recording, never production.
- 3
After connecting, check the tables list in the sidebar. Table names like 'users', 'payments', 'salaries' hint at the data inside. More importantly, the DATA inside those tables is real. Use a staging database with anonymized or test data.
- 4
If you must show real table structures, blur or avoid expanding rows that contain PII. Click the Structure tab instead of the Data tab to show column definitions without actual values.
- 5
When writing SQL queries, prepare them in advance. Don't type `SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = 'real.person@company.com'` live — use test data or placeholder values.
Pro tips
Auto-zoom on JSON and text columns. TablePlus truncates long column values in the grid view. When you click a cell containing a JSON blob or long text, a detail panel expands with the full content. Auto-zoom catches this expansion so viewers can read the entire JSON structure or text value.
Use a staging database with seed data. Never record on production. Create a local or staging database, seed it with realistic but fake data (faker libraries generate names, emails, addresses). Your tutorial looks real without exposing actual customer information.
Keyboard overlay for TablePlus workflows. Cmd+Enter (execute query), Cmd+S (commit pending changes), Cmd+R (refresh table data), Cmd+T (new tab for another table). TablePlus power users chain these shortcuts — overlay shows viewers the efficient workflow.
Show the Structure tab alongside the Data tab. When explaining a table, open the Structure tab first (columns, types, indexes, constraints), explain the schema, then switch to the Data tab to show actual rows. Schema context makes data make sense.
Common mistakes
Recording on a production database. The users table shows real names, real emails, real phone numbers. The payments table shows real transaction amounts. Even if you're careful about what you show, one accidental scroll exposes PII. Use staging or local.
Showing connection credentials in the connection list. TablePlus's connection list shows hostnames, ports, and database names. 'prod-rds-cluster.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com:5432 / production_db' reveals your infrastructure. Connect before recording, or use a local connection.
Running SELECT * without a LIMIT. You run `SELECT * FROM orders` and 50,000 rows load. TablePlus renders them in a grid — scrolling through 50K rows is unwatchable and may lag. Always `LIMIT 20` or filter with a WHERE clause for recording.
Not committing changes visibly. TablePlus batches changes — edits are pending (highlighted) until you Cmd+S to commit. Viewers may not realize changes aren't saved. Always show the Cmd+S commit step and explain: 'changes are pending until I commit with Cmd+S.'
Related apps
Record TablePlus with Screenify Studio
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