> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sequinstream.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Get started with AWS SNS
> Learn how to stream rows and changes from Postgres to Amazon SNS in minutes. Use Sequin to stream Postgres to Lambdas, Kinesis, SQS, and more via SNS.
In this quickstart, you'll create a real-time data pipeline that streams changes from a Postgres database to an Amazon SNS topic. You'll:
* Boot Sequin
* Connect to a sample playground database
* Create an SNS topic and subscription
* Set up a sink to sync changes to SNS
* See your changes flow in real-time
By the end, you'll have hands-on experience setting up Postgres change data capture (CDC) with Sequin and SNS. This same pattern can be used to setup your own Postgres CDC pipeline with SNS.
This is the quickstart for streaming Postgres to SNS. See the [how-to guide](/how-to/stream-postgres-to-sns) for an explanation of how to use the SNS sink or the [reference](/reference/sinks/sns) for details on all configuration options.
The easiest way to get started with Sequin is with our [Docker Compose file](https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/blob/main/docker/docker-compose.yaml). This file starts a Postgres database, Redis instance, and Sequin server.
1. Download [sequin-docker-compose.zip](https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/releases/latest/download/sequin-docker-compose.zip).
2. Unzip the file.
3. Navigate to the unzipped directory and start the services:
```bash theme={null}
cd sequin-docker-compose && docker compose up -d
```
```bash theme={null}
curl -L https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/releases/latest/download/sequin-docker-compose.zip -o sequin-docker-compose.zip \
&& unzip sequin-docker-compose.zip && rm sequin-docker-compose.zip
cd sequin-docker-compose && docker compose up -d
```
```bash theme={null}
git clone git@github.com:sequinstream/sequin.git
cd sequin/docker
docker compose up -d
```
Check that Sequin is running using `docker ps`:
```bash theme={null}
docker ps
```
You should see output like the following:
```
CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
bd5c458cabde sequin/sequin:latest "/scripts/start_comm…" 11 seconds ago Up 9 seconds 4000/tcp, 0.0.0.0:7376->7376/tcp sequin-sequin-1
3bacd89765e7 grafana/grafana "/run.sh" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:3000->3000/tcp sequin-sequin_grafana-1
3ad41319a66c postgres:16 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds (healthy) 0.0.0.0:7377->5432/tcp sequin-sequin_postgres-1
6139a5fc4e80 redis:7 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:7378->6379/tcp sequin-sequin_redis-1
7e07a5b052de prom/prometheus "/bin/prometheus --c…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:9090->9090/tcp sequin-sequin_prometheus-1
```
Sequin, Postgres, Redis, Prometheus, and Grafana should be up and running (status: `Up`).
The Docker Compose file automatically configures Sequin with an admin user and a playground database.
Let's log in to the Sequin web console:
After starting the Docker Compose services, open the Sequin web console at [http://localhost:7376](http://localhost:7376):
Use the following default credentials to login:
* Email:
```
admin@sequinstream.com
```
* Password:
```
sequinpassword!
```
To get you started quickly, Sequin's Docker Compose file creates a logical database called `sequin_playground` with a sample dataset in the `public.products` table.
Let's take a look:
In the Sequin web console, click **Databases** in the sidebar.
Click on the pre-configured `sequin-playground` database:
The database "Health" should be green.
Let's get a sense of what's in the `products` table. Run the following command:
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"select id, name, price from products;"
```
This command connects to the running Postgres container and runs a `psql` command.
You should see a list of the rows in the `products` table:
```
id | name | price
----+-----------------------+-------
1 | Avocados (3 pack) | 5.99
2 | Flank Steak (1 lb) | 8.99
3 | Salmon Fillet (12 oz) | 14.99
4 | Baby Spinach (16 oz) | 4.99
5 | Sourdough Bread | 6.99
6 | Blueberries (6 oz) | 3.99
(6 rows)
```
We'll make modifications to this table in a bit.
We'll start by creating an Amazon SNS topic that will receive change events from Sequin.
Sign in to the Amazon SNS console. Make sure you're in the AWS region where you want to create your topic.
Click "Create topic".
For the type, select "Standard". For name, enter products-updates.
Leave the rest of the defaults and click "Create topic".
We'll create an email subscription so you can see notifications arrive in your inbox:
On the topic overview page click "Create subscription".
Set "Protocol" to "Email" and enter your email address in the "Endpoint" field.
Click "Create Subscription".
Check your email inbox for a message from Amazon SNS and click the "Confirm subscription" link.
Once confirmed, the subscription's Status will change to Confirmed in the SNS console.
If you don't see the confirmation email, check your spam folder.
You can re-send the confirmation email by clicking "Request confirmation" in the SNS console.
With the playground database connected and your SNS topic ready, you can create a [sink](/reference/sinks/overview) in Sequin. This sink will send changes from the products table to your SNS topic:
In Sequin, click "Sinks" in the sidebar navigation, then click "Create Sink".
Select "Amazon SNS" as the sink type and click "Continue".
In the "Source" card, note that the `sequin-playground` database is selected and all schemas and tables are included. Leave these defaults:
In the `Inital backfill` card, select the `public.products` table to initate a backfill when the sink is created.
In the SNS card, enter your configuration:
* Topic ARN: the ARN of the SNS topic you created earlier
* AWS Access Key ID / Secret Access Key: credentials that have permission to publish to the topic
If you don't have credentials, you can create a new user for Sequin with [write permissions to SNS](/reference/sinks/sns#iam-user-permissions).
Give your sink a name, like products-sns, and click "Create Sink".
Sequin will first backfill the rows in the `products` table, then stream every change in real‑time to your SNS topic.
With our initial backfill complete, click the "Messages" tab to see the status of backfill messages. All messages will be marked as "Delivered":
Check your email inbox. You should see an email for each backfill message. The email contains a JSON payload with the backfilled data. Sequin's message is under the `Message` field.
Now, see how changes flow to SNS in real-time:
In your terminal insert a new row into the `products` table:
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"insert into products (name, price) values ('Organic Honey (16 oz)', 12.99);"
```
The change should flow through SNS to your email inbox in a few seconds.
Feel free to try other changes:
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"update products set price = 7.99 where name = 'Avocados (3 pack)';"
```
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"update products set name = 'Organic Avocados (3 pack)' where name = 'Avocados (3 pack)';"
```
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"delete from products where name = 'Blueberries (6 oz)';"
```
Each change will be forwarded to your email inbox via SNS within a few seconds.
Great work!
You've successfully:
* Created an SNS topic and confirmed an email subscription
* Loaded existing data through a backfill
* Made changes to the `products` table
* Verified notifications are flowing to SNS (and landing in your inbox)
* Set up a complete Postgres change data capture pipeline
## Ready to stream
Now you're ready to connect your own database to Sequin and start streaming changes:
Connect your Postgres database to Sequin.
Set up an SNS sink to bring CDC events to AWS.