Create anonymized branch

API Reference / Branches / Create anonymized branch

Creates a new branch with anonymized data using PostgreSQL Anonymizer for static masking. This allows developers to work with masked production data. Optionally, provide masking_rules to set initial masking rules for the branch and start_anonymization to automatically start anonymization after creation. This combines functionality of updating masking rules and starting anonymization into the branch creation request.

Note: This endpoint is currently in Beta.

• project_id (string, path, required) The Neon project ID

• annotation_value (object, optional) A free-form map of string key-value pairs for attaching metadata to a resource (for example, a git commit reference). Maximum 50 entries.

• branch_create (object, optional)

  • endpoints (array, optional) Compute endpoints to create together with the branch. If omitted, the branch is created without any compute endpoint. Endpoints can be added to the branch separately after creation.

    • type (string, required) Compute endpoint type. read_write: the primary read-write endpoint (one per branch). read_only: a read replica endpoint (multiple allowed per branch). Possible values: read_only, read_write

    • settings (object, optional) Compute endpoint settings: pg_settings (Postgres parameter overrides such as work_mem, max_connections) and preload_libraries.

      • pg_settings (object, optional) A raw representation of Postgres settings

      • pgbouncer_settings (object, optional, deprecated) Deprecated. PgBouncer settings for the compute endpoint. Removal scheduled for June 20, 2026.

      • preload_libraries (object, optional) The shared libraries to preload into the project's compute instances.

        • use_defaults (boolean, optional) When true, the project's preload libraries include the platform default set in addition to any libraries listed in enabled_libraries.
        • enabled_libraries (array, optional) Names of shared preload libraries to enable for the project.

    • autoscaling_limit_min_cu (number, optional) Minimum number of Compute Units the endpoint can scale down to. Minimum 0.25.

    • autoscaling_limit_max_cu (number, optional) Maximum number of Compute Units the endpoint can scale up to. Minimum 0.25.

    • provisioner (string, optional) Compute provisioner. k8s-neonvm (default) supports Autoscaling; k8s-pod is fixed-size compute. Also docker and serverless-platform.

    • suspend_timeout_seconds (integer, optional, format: int64) Scale-to-zero idle timeout, in seconds, before the compute suspends. 0 uses the plan default; -1 disables scale-to-zero (never suspends). Minimum is plan-dependent (Scale: 60); maximum 604800 (one week). Free cannot change it; Launch can only enable or disable; Scale can set any value.

  • branch (object, optional) Optional configuration for the new branch, for example name, parent_id (fork from a branch), parent_lsn or parent_timestamp (point-in-time branching), and protected.

    • parent_id (string, optional) The branch_id of the parent branch. If omitted or empty, the branch will be created from the project's default branch.

    • name (string, optional) The branch name

    • parent_lsn (string, optional) A Log Sequence Number (LSN) on the parent branch. The branch will be created with data from this LSN.

    • parent_timestamp (string, optional, format: date-time) A timestamp identifying a point in time on the parent branch. The branch will be created with data starting from this point in time. RFC 3339 format.

    • protected (boolean, optional) Whether the branch is protected. Protected branches (and their computes) cannot be deleted, archived, or reset, and block deletion of the project. Can be gated by protected_branches_only in the IP allowlist. Paid plans only.

      Default: false

    • archived (boolean, optional) Whether to create the branch in the archived state. When omitted, the branch is created as a normal (non-archived) branch.

    • init_source (string, optional) Source of initialization for the branch. parent-data copies schema and data from the parent branch. parent-schema copies schema only from the parent branch. schema-only creates a new root branch containing schema only, using parent_id as the source; optionally, parent_lsn or parent_timestamp can narrow the source point. import initializes the branch from an external import.

    • expires_at (string, optional, format: date-time) The timestamp when the branch is scheduled to expire and be automatically deleted. Must be set by the client following the RFC 3339, section 5.6 format with precision up to seconds (such as 2025-06-09T18:02:16Z). Deletion is performed by a background job and may not occur exactly at the specified time.

      Access to this feature is currently limited to participants in the Early Access Program.

• masking_rules (array, optional) List of masking rules to apply to the branch.

  • database_name (string, required) The name of the database containing the table to be masked

  • schema_name (string, required) The name of the schema containing the table to be masked

  • table_name (string, required) The name of the table containing the column to be masked

  • column_name (string, required) The name of the column to be masked

  • masking_function (string, optional) The PostgreSQL Anonymizer masking function to apply. Can be a predefined function (e.g., 'anon.random_string(10)', 'anon.fake_email()') or a custom function definition (e.g., 'anon.hash(column_name)')

  • masking_value (string, optional) A literal value to set on the column when masking.

• start_anonymization (boolean, optional) If true, automatically start anonymization after the branch is created. Defaults to false.

  Default: false

{
  "branch": {
    "id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
    "project_id": "aged-wildflower-123456",
    "parent_id": "br-young-forest-12345678",
    "parent_lsn": "0/1964E60",
    "name": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
    "slug": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
    "project_slug": "aged-wildflower-123456",
    "current_state": "init",
    "pending_state": "ready",
    "state_changed_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "creation_source": "console",
    "primary": false,
    "default": false,
    "protected": false,
    "cpu_used_sec": 0,
    "compute_time_seconds": 0,
    "active_time_seconds": 0,
    "written_data_bytes": 0,
    "data_transfer_bytes": 0,
    "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "init_source": "parent-data",
    "restricted_actions": [
      {
        "name": "restore",
        "reason": "cannot restore anonymized branches"
      },
      {
        "name": "delete-rw-endpoint",
        "reason": "cannot delete read-write endpoints for anonymized branches"
      },
      {
        "name": "connect-to-endpoints",
        "reason": "cannot connect to endpoints while branch is being anonymized"
      }
    ]
  },
  "endpoints": [
    {
      "host": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8.c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech",
      "hosts": {
        "read_write_host": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8.c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech",
        "read_write_pooled_host": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8-pooler.c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech"
      },
      "id": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8",
      "slug": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8",
      "branch_slug": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "project_slug": "aged-wildflower-123456",
      "project_id": "aged-wildflower-123456",
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "autoscaling_limit_min_cu": 1,
      "autoscaling_limit_max_cu": 1,
      "region_id": "aws-us-east-2",
      "type": "read_write",
      "current_state": "init",
      "pending_state": "active",
      "group": {
        "size": {
          "min": 1,
          "max": 1
        },
        "allow_readable_secondaries": false,
        "computes": [
          {
            "binding_id": "ffk",
            "current_state": "init",
            "pending_state": "active",
            "role": "read_write",
            "compute_host": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8-ffk.c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech",
            "compute_pooled_host": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8-ffk-pooler.c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech",
            "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
            "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
          }
        ]
      },
      "settings": {
        "preload_libraries": {
          "use_defaults": false,
          "enabled_libraries": [
            "anon"
          ]
        }
      },
      "pooler_enabled": false,
      "pooler_mode": "transaction",
      "disabled": false,
      "passwordless_access": true,
      "creation_source": "console",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "proxy_host": "c-5.us-east-2.aws.neon.tech",
      "suspend_timeout_seconds": 0,
      "provisioner": "k8s-neonvm"
    }
  ],
  "operations": [
    {
      "id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
      "project_id": "aged-wildflower-123456",
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "action": "create_branch",
      "status": "running",
      "failures_count": 0,
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "total_duration_ms": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
      "project_id": "aged-wildflower-123456",
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "action": "timeline_update_protected_config",
      "status": "scheduling",
      "failures_count": 0,
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "total_duration_ms": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
      "project_id": "aged-wildflower-123456",
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "endpoint_id": "ep-cool-darkness-a5b6c7d8",
      "action": "start_compute",
      "status": "scheduling",
      "failures_count": 0,
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "total_duration_ms": 0
    }
  ],
  "roles": [
    {
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "name": "authenticator",
      "protected": false,
      "authentication_method": "password",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "name": "anonymous",
      "protected": false,
      "authentication_method": "no_login",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "name": "authenticated",
      "protected": false,
      "authentication_method": "no_login",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "name": "neondb_owner",
      "protected": false,
      "authentication_method": "password",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T11:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T11:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "databases": [
    {
      "id": 1000000,
      "branch_id": "br-young-forest-a5b6c7d8",
      "name": "neondb",
      "owner_name": "neondb_owner",
      "created_at": "2025-01-15T11:30:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2025-01-15T11:30:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

curl "https://console.neon.tech/api/v2/projects/$PROJECT_ID/branch_anonymized" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NEON_API_KEY"

import { createNeonClient, raw } from '@neon/sdk';

const neon = createNeonClient({ apiKey: process.env.NEON_API_KEY });
const { data } = await raw.createProjectBranchAnonymized({
  client: neon.client,
  path: {
    project_id: process.env.PROJECT_ID
  }
});

Console path: Projects → Branches → New branch

default General Error.

The request may or may not be safe to retry, depending on the HTTP method, response status code, and whether a response was received.

• If no response is returned from the API, a network error or timeout likely occurred.
• In some cases, the request may have reached the server and been successfully processed, but the response failed to reach the client. As a result, retrying non-idempotent requests can lead to unintended results.

The following HTTP methods are considered non-idempotent: POST, PATCH, DELETE, and PUT. Retrying these methods is generally not safe. The following methods are considered idempotent: GET, HEAD, and OPTIONS. Retrying these methods is safe in the event of a network error or timeout.

Any request that returns a 503 Service Unavailable response is always safe to retry.

Any request that returns a 423 Locked response is safe to retry. 423 Locked indicates that the resource is temporarily locked, for example, due to another operation in progress.

• request_id (string, optional) Unique identifier for the request, useful for debugging. You can set this value manually by including an X-Request-ID header in the request. If not provided, the value will be generated automatically.

• code (string, required) Machine-readable code classifying the error type. See message for a human-readable explanation. Default: ``

• message (string, required) Error message