# Prerequisites for connecting Amazon Q Business to PostgreSQL
Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that you have completed the following prerequisites.

**In PostgreSQL, make sure you have:**
+ Noted your database username and password.
**Important**  
As a best practice, provide Amazon Q with read-only database credentials.
+ Copied your database host URL, port, and instance.

**In your AWS account, make sure you have:**
+ Created a Amazon Q Business application.
+ Created a [Amazon Q Business retriever and added an index](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonq/latest/qbusiness-ug/select-retriever.html).
+ Created an [IAM role](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonq/latest/qbusiness-ug/iam-roles.html#iam-roles-ds) for your data source and, if using the Amazon Q API, noted the ARN of the IAM role.
+ Stored your PostgreSQL authentication credentials in an AWS Secrets Manager secret and, if using the Amazon Q API, noted the ARN of the secret.
**Note**  
If you’re a console user, you can create the IAM role and Secrets Manager secret as part of configuring your Amazon Q application on the console.

For a list of things to consider while configuring your data source, see [ Data source connector configuration best practices](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonq/latest/qbusiness-ug/connector-best-practices.html).