How to handle transactions in Node.js
Łukasz Holeczek
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Database transactions are essential for maintaining data integrity when performing multiple related database operations in Node.js applications. As the creator of CoreUI with over 11 years of Node.js experience since 2014, I’ve implemented transactional logic in countless enterprise applications. The most reliable solution is to use transactions with your ORM or database client, wrapping operations in a transaction block with commit and rollback capabilities. This ensures all operations succeed together or none at all.
Use Sequelize transactions to ensure atomic database operations.
const { sequelize, User, Order } = require('./models')
const createOrderWithUser = async (userData, orderData) => {
const t = await sequelize.transaction()
try {
const user = await User.create(userData, { transaction: t })
const order = await Order.create({
...orderData,
userId: user.id
}, { transaction: t })
await t.commit()
return { user, order }
} catch (error) {
await t.rollback()
throw error
}
}
A transaction is initiated with sequelize.transaction(), creating a transaction object t. All database operations include { transaction: t } to participate in the transaction. If all operations succeed, t.commit() persists the changes. If any operation fails, the catch block calls t.rollback() to undo all changes, maintaining database consistency. This pattern prevents partial updates that could corrupt data.
Best Practice Note
This is the same transactional approach we use in CoreUI backend systems to ensure data reliability. For complex workflows, consider using managed transactions with sequelize.transaction(async (t) => { }) which automatically commits on success and rolls back on error, reducing boilerplate code.
