pgAdmin 4 is the most popular open-source administration and development tool for PostgreSQL. It provides a web-based interface for managing databases, writing queries, monitoring server activity, and managing schemas. This guide installs pgAdmin 4 in web mode on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

Tested and valid on:

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Prerequisites

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with PostgreSQL 17 installed
  • A web server (Apache or Nginx) optional — pgAdmin has a built-in WSGI server
  • A user with sudo privileges

Step 1 – Add the pgAdmin Repository

curl -fsS https://www.pgadmin.org/static/packages_pgadmin_org.pub | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/packages-pgadmin-org.gpg
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/packages-pgadmin-org.gpg] https://ftp.postgresql.org/pub/pgadmin/pgadmin4/apt/$(lsb_release -cs) pgadmin4 main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgadmin4.list'
sudo apt update

Step 2 – Install pgAdmin 4 (Web Mode)

sudo apt install pgadmin4-web -y

Step 3 – Configure pgAdmin

Run the setup script to create an admin user and configure the web server:

sudo /usr/pgadmin4/bin/setup-web.sh

Enter an email address and password for the pgAdmin login.

Step 4 – Open Port 80 (if using Apache)

sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'

Step 5 – Access pgAdmin

Open http://your_server_ip/pgadmin4 in a browser and log in with the credentials you set.

Step 6 – Add Your PostgreSQL Server

In pgAdmin: Object → Register → Server. Set:

  • Name: Local PostgreSQL
  • Host: 127.0.0.1
  • Port: 5432
  • Username: postgres
  • Password: (your postgres password)

Step 7 – Secure with SSL

Add an SSL certificate using Certbot so pgAdmin is served over HTTPS:

sudo certbot --apache -d pgadmin.example.com

Conclusion

pgAdmin 4 is now installed and accessible on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. Use it to manage PostgreSQL databases visually, write and run SQL, inspect query execution plans, and monitor server statistics.