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Data & Analytics•February 13, 2024•10 min read

PostgreSQL Indexing Strategies for Query Performance

Strategic PostgreSQL indexing dramatically improves query performance when applied correctly.

#postgresql#indexing#performance#database

PostgreSQL indexes accelerate data retrieval when designed for actual query patterns. Understanding index types, composite indexes, and partial indexes enables effective optimization.

Index Types

B-tree indexes suit most equality and range queries. GiST indexes handle geometric and full-text data. GIN indexes excel for array and JSONB containment. Hash indexes optimize equality-only queries.

  • Use B-tree for most standard queries
  • Apply GIN indexes for JSONB and array queries
  • Create partial indexes for filtered subsets
  • Use composite indexes for multi-column queries
  • Monitor unused indexes for removal

Index Maintenance

Analyze tables updating statistics for query planning. Reindex periodically for bloated indexes. Monitor index size and usage. Balance read performance against write overhead.

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postgresqlindexingperformancedatabaseoptimization

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