Create a Firestore database by using a web or mobile client library
This quickstart shows you how to set up Firestore, add data, and read data by using the Android, Apple platforms, Web, Unity, or C++ client library.
Create a Firestore database
If you haven't already, create a Firebase project: In the Firebase console, click Add project, then follow the on-screen instructions to create a Firebase project or to add Firebase services to an existing GCP project.
From the Firebase console's navigation pane, select Firestore, then click Create database for Firestore.
Select Test mode for your Firestore Security Rules:
- Test mode
- Good for getting started with the mobile and web client libraries, but allows anyone to read and overwrite your data. After testing, make sure to review the Secure your data section.
Select a location for your database.
This location setting is your project's default Google Cloud Platform (GCP) resource location. Note that this location will be used for GCP services in your project that require a location setting, specifically, your default Cloud Storage bucket and your App Engine app (which is required if you use Cloud Scheduler).
If you aren't able to select a location, then your project already has a default GCP resource location. It was set either during project creation or when setting up another service that requires a location setting.
Click Done.
When you enable Firestore, it also enables the API in the Cloud API Manager.
Set up your development environment
Add the required dependencies and client libraries to your app.
Web version 9
- Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your Web app.
-
Import both Firebase and Firestore:
import { initializeApp } from "firebase/app"; import { getFirestore } from "firebase/firestore";
Web version 8
- Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your Web app.
- Add the Firebase and Firestore libraries to your app:
The Firestore SDK is also available as an npm package.<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/8.10.1/firebase-app.js"></script> <script src="https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/8.10.1/firebase-firestore.js"></script>
You'll need to manually require both Firebase and Firestore.npm install firebase@8.10.1 --save
const firebase = require("firebase"); // Required for side-effects require("firebase/firestore");
Apple platforms
Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your Apple app.
Use Swift Package Manager to install and manage Firebase dependencies.
- In Xcode, with your app project open, navigate to File > Swift Packages > Add Package Dependency.
- When prompted, add the Firebase Apple platforms SDK repository:
- Choose the Firestore library.
- When finished, Xcode will automatically begin resolving and downloading your dependencies in the background.
https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk
Android
- Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your Android app.
- Declare the dependency for the Firestore library for Android
in your module (app-level) Gradle file (usually
app/build.gradle.kts
orapp/build.gradle
):implementation("com.google.firebase:firebase-firestore:25.0.0")
If your app uses multiple Firebase libraries, consider using the Firebase Android BoM, which ensures that your app's Firebase library versions are always compatible.
Looking for a Kotlin-specific library module? Starting with the October 2023 release, both Kotlin and Java developers can depend on the main library module (for details, see the FAQ about this initiative).
Dart
- If you haven't already, configure and initialize Firebase in your Flutter app.
- From the root of your Flutter project, run the following command to
install the plugin:
flutter pub add cloud_firestore
- Once complete, rebuild your Flutter application:
flutter run
C++
- Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your C++ project.
- C++ interface for Android.
- Gradle dependencies. Add the following to your module
(app-level) Gradle file (usually
app/build.gradle
):android.defaultConfig.externalNativeBuild.cmake { arguments "-DFIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR=$gradle.firebase_cpp_sdk_dir" } apply from: "$gradle.firebase_cpp_sdk_dir/Android/firebase_dependencies.gradle" firebaseCpp.dependencies { // earlier entries auth firestore }
- Binary dependencies. Similarly, the recommended way to get
the binary dependencies is to add the following to your
CMakeLists.txt
file:add_subdirectory(${FIREBASE_CPP_SDK_DIR} bin/ EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL) set(firebase_libs firebase_auth firebase_firestore firebase_app) # Replace the target name below with the actual name of your target, # for example, "native-lib". target_link_libraries(${YOUR_TARGET_NAME_HERE} "${firebase_libs}")
- To set up desktop integration, see Add Firebase to your C++ project.
Unity
- Follow the instructions to add Firebase to your Unity project.
- Use the Unity interface to configure your project to minify Android builds.
- The option can be found in Player Settings > Android > Publishing Settings > Minify.
- The options may differ in different versions of Unity so refer to the official Unity documentation and the Firebase Unity Build Debug Guide.
-
If, after enabling minification, the number of referenced methods still
exceeds the limit, another option is to enable
multidex
in:-
mainTemplate.gradle
if Custom Gradle Template under Player Settings is enabled -
or, the module-level
build.gradle
file, if you use Android Studio to build the exported project.
-
You must minify the build to avoid the message Error while merging dex archives
.
Initialize Firestore
Initialize an instance of Firestore:
Web version 9
// Initialize Firestore through Firebase import { initializeApp } from "firebase/app" import { getFirestore } from "firebase/firestore" const firebaseApp = initializeApp({ apiKey: '### FIREBASE API KEY ###', authDomain: '### FIREBASE AUTH DOMAIN ###', projectId: '### CLOUD FIRESTORE PROJECT ID ###' }); const db = getFirestore();
Web version 8
// Initialize Firestore through Firebase firebase.initializeApp({ apiKey: '### FIREBASE API KEY ###', authDomain: '### FIREBASE AUTH DOMAIN ###', projectId: '### CLOUD FIRESTORE PROJECT ID ###' }); var db = firebase.firestore();
Swift
import FirebaseCore import FirebaseFirestore FirebaseApp.configure() let db = Firestore.firestore()
Objective-C
@import FirebaseCore; @import FirebaseFirestore; // Use Firebase library to configure APIs [FIRApp configure]; FIRFirestore *defaultFirestore = [FIRFirestore firestore];
Kotlin+KTX
Android
// Access a Firestore instance from your Activity val db = Firebase.firestore
Java
Android
// Access a Firestore instance from your Activity FirebaseFirestore db = FirebaseFirestore.getInstance();
Dart
db = FirebaseFirestore.instance;
C++
// Make sure the call to `Create()` happens some time before you call Firestore::GetInstance(). App::Create(); Firestore* db = Firestore::GetInstance();
Unity
using Firebase.Firestore; using Firebase.Extensions;
FirebaseFirestore db = FirebaseFirestore.DefaultInstance;
Add data
Firestore stores data in Documents, which are stored in Collections. Firestore creates collections and documents implicitly the first time you add data to the document. You do not need to explicitly create collections or documents.
Create a new collection and a document using the following example code.
Web version 9
import { collection, addDoc } from "firebase/firestore"; try { const docRef = await addDoc(collection(db, "users"), { first: "Ada", last: "Lovelace", born: 1815 }); console.log("Document written with ID: ", docRef.id); } catch (e) { console.error("Error adding document: ", e); }
Web version 8
db.collection("users").add({ first: "Ada", last: "Lovelace", born: 1815 }) .then((docRef) => { console.log("Document written with ID: ", docRef.id); }) .catch((error) => { console.error("Error adding document: ", error); });
Swift
// Add a new document with a generated ID do { let ref = try await db.collection("users").addDocument(data: [ "first": "Ada", "last": "Lovelace", "born": 1815 ]) print("Document added with ID: \(ref.documentID)") } catch { print("Error adding document: \(error)") }
Objective-C
// Add a new document with a generated ID __block FIRDocumentReference *ref = [[self.db collectionWithPath:@"users"] addDocumentWithData:@{ @"first": @"Ada", @"last": @"Lovelace", @"born": @1815 } completion:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { if (error != nil) { NSLog(@"Error adding document: %@", error); } else { NSLog(@"Document added with ID: %@", ref.documentID); } }];
Kotlin+KTX
Android
// Create a new user with a first and last name val user = hashMapOf( "first" to "Ada", "last" to "Lovelace", "born" to 1815, ) // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users") .add(user) .addOnSuccessListener { documentReference -> Log.d(TAG, "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: ${documentReference.id}") } .addOnFailureListener { e -> Log.w(TAG, "Error adding document", e) }
Java
Android
// Create a new user with a first and last name Map<String, Object> user = new HashMap<>(); user.put("first", "Ada"); user.put("last", "Lovelace"); user.put("born", 1815); // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users") .add(user) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<DocumentReference>() { @Override public void onSuccess(DocumentReference documentReference) { Log.d(TAG, "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: " + documentReference.getId()); } }) .addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() { @Override public void onFailure(@NonNull Exception e) { Log.w(TAG, "Error adding document", e); } });
Dart
// Create a new user with a first and last name final user = <String, dynamic>{ "first": "Ada", "last": "Lovelace", "born": 1815 }; // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users").add(user).then((DocumentReference doc) => print('DocumentSnapshot added with ID: ${doc.id}'));
C++
// Add a new document with a generated ID Future<DocumentReference> user_ref = db->Collection("users").Add({{"first", FieldValue::String("Ada")}, {"last", FieldValue::String("Lovelace")}, {"born", FieldValue::Integer(1815)}}); user_ref.OnCompletion([](const Future<DocumentReference>& future) { if (future.error() == Error::kErrorOk) { std::cout << "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: " << future.result()->id() << std::endl; } else { std::cout << "Error adding document: " << future.error_message() << std::endl; } });
Unity
DocumentReference docRef = db.Collection("users").Document("alovelace"); Dictionary<string, object> user = new Dictionary<string, object> { { "First", "Ada" }, { "Last", "Lovelace" }, { "Born", 1815 }, }; docRef.SetAsync(user).ContinueWithOnMainThread(task => { Debug.Log("Added data to the alovelace document in the users collection."); });
Now add another document to the users
collection. Notice that this document
includes a key-value pair (middle name) that does not appear in the first
document. Documents in a collection can contain different sets of information.
Web version 9
// Add a second document with a generated ID. import { addDoc, collection } from "firebase/firestore"; try { const docRef = await addDoc(collection(db, "users"), { first: "Alan", middle: "Mathison", last: "Turing", born: 1912 }); console.log("Document written with ID: ", docRef.id); } catch (e) { console.error("Error adding document: ", e); }
Web version 8
// Add a second document with a generated ID. db.collection("users").add({ first: "Alan", middle: "Mathison", last: "Turing", born: 1912 }) .then((docRef) => { console.log("Document written with ID: ", docRef.id); }) .catch((error) => { console.error("Error adding document: ", error); });
Swift
// Add a second document with a generated ID. do { let ref = try await db.collection("users").addDocument(data: [ "first": "Alan", "middle": "Mathison", "last": "Turing", "born": 1912 ]) print("Document added with ID: \(ref.documentID)") } catch { print("Error adding document: \(error)") }
Objective-C
// Add a second document with a generated ID. __block FIRDocumentReference *ref = [[self.db collectionWithPath:@"users"] addDocumentWithData:@{ @"first": @"Alan", @"middle": @"Mathison", @"last": @"Turing", @"born": @1912 } completion:^(NSError * _Nullable error) { if (error != nil) { NSLog(@"Error adding document: %@", error); } else { NSLog(@"Document added with ID: %@", ref.documentID); } }];
Kotlin+KTX
Android
// Create a new user with a first, middle, and last name val user = hashMapOf( "first" to "Alan", "middle" to "Mathison", "last" to "Turing", "born" to 1912, ) // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users") .add(user) .addOnSuccessListener { documentReference -> Log.d(TAG, "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: ${documentReference.id}") } .addOnFailureListener { e -> Log.w(TAG, "Error adding document", e) }
Java
Android
// Create a new user with a first, middle, and last name Map<String, Object> user = new HashMap<>(); user.put("first", "Alan"); user.put("middle", "Mathison"); user.put("last", "Turing"); user.put("born", 1912); // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users") .add(user) .addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<DocumentReference>() { @Override public void onSuccess(DocumentReference documentReference) { Log.d(TAG, "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: " + documentReference.getId()); } }) .addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() { @Override public void onFailure(@NonNull Exception e) { Log.w(TAG, "Error adding document", e); } });
Dart
// Create a new user with a first and last name final user = <String, dynamic>{ "first": "Alan", "middle": "Mathison", "last": "Turing", "born": 1912 }; // Add a new document with a generated ID db.collection("users").add(user).then((DocumentReference doc) => print('DocumentSnapshot added with ID: ${doc.id}'));
C++
db->Collection("users") .Add({{"first", FieldValue::String("Alan")}, {"middle", FieldValue::String("Mathison")}, {"last", FieldValue::String("Turing")}, {"born", FieldValue::Integer(1912)}}) .OnCompletion([](const Future<DocumentReference>& future) { if (future.error() == Error::kErrorOk) { std::cout << "DocumentSnapshot added with ID: " << future.result()->id() << std::endl; } else { std::cout << "Error adding document: " << future.error_message() << std::endl; } });
Unity
DocumentReference docRef = db.Collection("users").Document("aturing"); Dictionary<string, object> user = new Dictionary<string, object> { { "First", "Alan" }, { "Middle", "Mathison" }, { "Last", "Turing" }, { "Born", 1912 } }; docRef.SetAsync(user).ContinueWithOnMainThread(task => { Debug.Log("Added data to the aturing document in the users collection."); });
Read data
Use the data viewer in the Firebase console to quickly verify that you've added data to Firestore.
You can also use the get
method to retrieve the entire collection.
Web version 9
import { collection, getDocs } from "firebase/firestore"; const querySnapshot = await getDocs(collection(db, "users")); querySnapshot.forEach((doc) => { console.log(`${doc.id} => ${doc.data()}`); });
Web version 8
db.collection("users").get().then((querySnapshot) => { querySnapshot.forEach((doc) => { console.log(`${doc.id} => ${doc.data()}`); }); });
Swift
do { let snapshot = try await db.collection("users").getDocuments() for document in snapshot.documents { print("\(document.documentID) => \(document.data())") } } catch { print("Error getting documents: \(error)") }
Objective-C
[[self.db collectionWithPath:@"users"] getDocumentsWithCompletion:^(FIRQuerySnapshot * _Nullable snapshot, NSError * _Nullable error) { if (error != nil) { NSLog(@"Error getting documents: %@", error); } else { for (FIRDocumentSnapshot *document in snapshot.documents) { NSLog(@"%@ => %@", document.documentID, document.data); } } }];
Kotlin+KTX
Android
db.collection("users") .get() .addOnSuccessListener { result -> for (document in result) { Log.d(TAG, "${document.id} => ${document.data}") } } .addOnFailureListener { exception -> Log.w(TAG, "Error getting documents.", exception) }
Java
Android
db.collection("users") .get() .addOnCompleteListener(new OnCompleteListener<QuerySnapshot>() { @Override public void onComplete(@NonNull Task<QuerySnapshot> task) { if (task.isSuccessful()) { for (QueryDocumentSnapshot document : task.getResult()) { Log.d(TAG, document.getId() + " => " + document.getData()); } } else { Log.w(TAG, "Error getting documents.", task.getException()); } } });
Dart
await db.collection("users").get().then((event) { for (var doc in event.docs) { print("${doc.id} => ${doc.data()}"); } });
C++
Future<QuerySnapshot> users = db->Collection("users").Get(); users.OnCompletion([](const Future<QuerySnapshot>& future) { if (future.error() == Error::kErrorOk) { for (const DocumentSnapshot& document : future.result()->documents()) { std::cout << document << std::endl; } } else { std::cout << "Error getting documents: " << future.error_message() << std::endl; } });
Unity
CollectionReference usersRef = db.Collection("users"); usersRef.GetSnapshotAsync().ContinueWithOnMainThread(task => { QuerySnapshot snapshot = task.Result; foreach (DocumentSnapshot document in snapshot.Documents) { Debug.Log(String.Format("User: {0}", document.Id)); Dictionary<string, object> documentDictionary = document.ToDictionary(); Debug.Log(String.Format("First: {0}", documentDictionary["First"])); if (documentDictionary.ContainsKey("Middle")) { Debug.Log(String.Format("Middle: {0}", documentDictionary["Middle"])); } Debug.Log(String.Format("Last: {0}", documentDictionary["Last"])); Debug.Log(String.Format("Born: {0}", documentDictionary["Born"])); } Debug.Log("Read all data from the users collection."); });
Secure your data
Use Firebase Authentication and Firestore Security Rules to secure your data in Firestore.
Here are some basic rule sets you can use to get started. You can modify your security rules in the Rules tab of the Firebase console.
Auth required
// Allow read/write access on all documents to any user signed in to the application
service cloud.firestore {
match /databases/{database}/documents {
match /{document=**} {
allow read, write: if request.auth != null;
}
}
}
Locked mode
// Deny read/write access to all users under any conditions
service cloud.firestore {
match /databases/{database}/documents {
match /{document=**} {
allow read, write: if false;
}
}
}
Test mode
// Allow read/write access to all users under any conditions
// Warning: **NEVER** use this rule set in production; it allows
// anyone to overwrite your entire database.
service cloud.firestore {
match /databases/{database}/documents {
match /{document=**} {
allow read, write: if true;
}
}
}
Before you deploy your Web, Android, or iOS app to production, also take steps to ensure that only your app clients can access your Firestore data. See the App Check documentation.
Watch a video tutorial
For detailed guidance on getting started with the Firestore mobile and web client libraries, watch one of the following video tutorials:
Web
iOS
Android
You can find more videos in the Firebase YouTube channel.
Next steps
Deepen your knowledge with the following topics:
- Codelabs — Learn to use Firestore in a real app by following the codelab for Android, iOS, or Web.
- Data model — Learn more about how data is structured in Firestore, including hierarchical data and subcollections.
- Add data — Learn more about creating and updating data in Firestore.
- Get data — Learn more about how to retrieve data.
- Perform simple and compound queries — Learn how to run simple and compound queries.
- Order and limit queries — Learn how to order and limit the data returned by your queries.