# How to list all databases using PostgreSQL

> Learn how to list all databases in PostgreSQL, using the psql list meta-command or a SQL query that selects datname from the pg_database catalog table.

Author: [Flavio Copes](https://flaviocopes.com/about/) | Published: 2020-01-03 | Topics: [Database](https://flaviocopes.com/tags/database/) | Canonical: https://flaviocopes.com/postgres-how-to-list-all-databases/

You can perform this task in 2 ways.

One is using `psql`.

Type the command `\list` (or `\l`), and PostgreSQL will show you the list of databases (and templates):

![PostgreSQL terminal showing \list command output with databases in a table with Name, Owner, Encoding, Collate, Ctype, Access columns](https://flaviocopes.com/images/postgres-how-to-list-all-databases/Screen_Shot_2019-12-19_at_10.00.05.png)

In this case, the databases list is

- `airbnbclone`
- `nextbnb`
- `postgres`
- `test`

`template0` and `template1` are templates.

Templates are templates for new databases, and you can use them to pre-populate new databases using the syntax `CREATE DATABASE databasename TEMPLATE template0`.

By default, the template used when creating a new database using `CREATE DATABASE databasename` is `template1`.

It's a topic that does not matter now, but I just want you to know what templates are.

A more advanced view, which includes the disk size of each single database, can be retrieved using `\list+` (or `\l+`):

![PostgreSQL terminal showing \list+ command output with database details including Size and Tablespace columns](https://flaviocopes.com/images/postgres-how-to-list-all-databases/Screen_Shot_2019-12-19_at_10.29.33.png)

The other way to list databases is by using a SQL query.

Run:

```sql
SELECT datname FROM pg_database
WHERE datistemplate = false;
```

This will list databases, excluding templates:

![PostgreSQL terminal showing SQL query results listing database names: nextbnb, airbnbclone, test, postgres](https://flaviocopes.com/images/postgres-how-to-list-all-databases/Screen_Shot_2019-12-19_at_10.03.29.png)