Edge functions
On this pageWhat it is
What it is
Edge functions are small programs that run on servers spread around the world, close to the person making the request. They are useful for jobs that need server-side logic, such as receiving a webhook from a payment provider, sending an email after a sign-up or calling an AI service with a secret key. Supabase includes edge functions alongside its database.
Why it matters
Some tasks should not run in the visitor's browser, because they need secret keys or trusted code. Without edge functions, a team must rent and maintain a separate server for these jobs. Running the code near the user can also make responses faster.
This feature is for teams with a developer. A business owner using no-code tools will rarely touch it directly, though it may power integrations behind the scenes. It is not suited to very long jobs, which are better handled by a background worker.
What to check
- Which programming languages or runtimes are supported?
- What limits apply to run time, memory and request size?
- How are secrets stored, and how are deployments and logs handled?
- Is there a local testing setup so developers can try changes before they go live?
Tools with Edge functions
Backend platform built on managed Postgres with auth, APIs, realtime subscriptions, and file storage.