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Postgresql Optimization

GitHubOfficialOriginally contributed by @shubham070 as prompts/postgresql-optimization.prompt.md; moved into a skill by pull request #761Distributed by GitHub

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  • Software development
  • MIT
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From the author

PostgreSQL-specific development assistant focusing on unique PostgreSQL features, advanced data types, and PostgreSQL-exclusive capabilities. Covers JSONB operations, array types, custom types, range/geometric types, full-text search, window functions, and PostgreSQL extensions ecosystem.
— the description by shubham070

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a comprehensive reference for optimizing PostgreSQL databases. It covers advanced features such as JSONB operations, array types, window functions, and full-text search. It also offers actionable advice on query performance tuning, index strategies, connection management, and maintenance tasks. The assistant helps developers identify bottlenecks using EXPLAIN ANALYZE and provides best practices for schema design, custom types, and the use of PostgreSQL extensions.

What it does

  • Provides patterns for optimizing JSONB and array operations.
  • Explains how to use window functions and CTEs for complex analytics.
  • Offers strategies for query performance tuning and index selection.
  • Guides users on database maintenance, including VACUUM and statistics updates.
  • Demonstrates the use of PostgreSQL extensions for enhanced functionality.
  • Provides a structured checklist for query analysis and security reviews.

When to use it

  • When you need to optimize slow-running SQL queries.
  • When designing schemas that require advanced data types like JSONB or ranges.
  • When implementing complex analytical queries or hierarchical data structures.
  • When performing routine database maintenance and performance monitoring.
  • When evaluating index strategies to improve read performance.

Advantages

  • Leverages native PostgreSQL features for better performance.
  • Provides clear examples of anti-patterns versus optimized solutions.
  • Includes actionable checklists for systematic database health checks.
  • Focuses on advanced capabilities often overlooked in standard SQL development.

Usage examples

“How can I optimize a query that filters on a JSONB column?”
The assistant will suggest using GIN indexes and specific JSONB containment operators to replace inefficient text-based filtering.
“Analyze this slow query: SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status = 'pending' ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 20;”
The assistant will provide an EXPLAIN ANALYZE approach, suggest relevant composite or partial indexes, and explain how to avoid sequential scans.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/github/postgresql-optimization/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip postgresql-optimization.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by shubham070

PostgreSQL Development Assistant

Expert PostgreSQL guidance for ${selection} (or entire project if no selection). Focus on PostgreSQL-specific features, optimization patterns, and advanced capabilities.

� PostgreSQL-Specific Features

JSONB Operations
-- Advanced JSONB queries
CREATE TABLE events (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    data JSONB NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMPTZ DEFAULT NOW()
);

-- GIN index for JSONB performance
CREATE INDEX idx_events_data_gin ON events USING gin(data);

-- JSONB containment and path queries
SELECT * FROM events 
WHERE data @> '{"type": "login"}'
  AND data #>> '{user,role}' = 'admin';

-- JSONB aggregation
SELECT jsonb_agg(data) FROM events WHERE data ? 'user_id';
Array Operations
-- PostgreSQL arrays
CREATE TABLE posts (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    tags TEXT[],
    categories INTEGER[]
);

-- Array queries and operations
SELECT * FROM posts WHERE 'postgresql' = ANY(tags);
SELECT * FROM posts WHERE tags && ARRAY['database', 'sql'];
SELECT * FROM posts WHERE array_length(tags, 1) > 3;

-- Array aggregation
SELECT array_agg(DISTINCT category) FROM posts, unnest(categories) as category;
Window Functions & Analytics
-- Advanced window functions
SELECT 
    product_id,
    sale_date,
    amount,
    -- Running totals
    SUM(amount) OVER (PARTITION BY product_id ORDER BY sale_date) as running_total,
    -- Moving averages
    AVG(amount) OVER (PARTITION BY product_id ORDER BY sale_date ROWS BETWEEN 2 PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW) as moving_avg,
    -- Rankings
    DENSE_RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY EXTRACT(month FROM sale_date) ORDER BY amount DESC) as monthly_rank,
    -- Lag/Lead for comparisons
    LAG(amount, 1) OVER (PARTITION BY product_id ORDER BY sale_date) as prev_amount
FROM sales;
-- PostgreSQL full-text search
CREATE TABLE documents (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    content TEXT,
    search_vector tsvector
);

-- Update search vector
UPDATE documents 
SET search_vector = to_tsvector('english', title || ' ' || content);

-- GIN index for search performance
CREATE INDEX idx_documents_search ON documents USING gin(search_vector);

-- Search queries
SELECT * FROM documents 
WHERE search_vector @@ plainto_tsquery('english', 'postgresql database');

-- Ranking results
SELECT *, ts_rank(search_vector, plainto_tsquery('postgresql')) as rank
FROM documents 
WHERE search_vector @@ plainto_tsquery('postgresql')
ORDER BY rank DESC;

� PostgreSQL Performance Tuning

Query Optimization
-- EXPLAIN ANALYZE for performance analysis
EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, FORMAT TEXT) 
SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count
FROM users u
LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id
WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01'::date
GROUP BY u.id, u.name;

-- Identify slow queries from pg_stat_statements
SELECT query, calls, total_time, mean_time, rows,
       100.0 * shared_blks_hit / nullif(shared_blks_hit + shared_blks_read, 0) AS hit_percent
FROM pg_stat_statements 
ORDER BY total_time DESC 
LIMIT 10;
Index Strategies
-- Composite indexes for multi-column queries
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_user_date ON orders(user_id, order_date);

-- Partial indexes for filtered queries
CREATE INDEX idx_active_users ON users(created_at) WHERE status = 'active';

-- Expression indexes for computed values
CREATE INDEX idx_users_lower_email ON users(lower(email));

-- Covering indexes to avoid table lookups
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_covering ON orders(user_id, status) INCLUDE (total, created_at);
Connection & Memory Management
-- Check connection usage
SELECT count(*) as connections, state 
FROM pg_stat_activity 
GROUP BY state;

-- Monitor memory usage
SELECT name, setting, unit 
FROM pg_settings 
WHERE name IN ('shared_buffers', 'work_mem', 'maintenance_work_mem');

�️ PostgreSQL Advanced Data Types

Custom Types & Domains
-- Create custom types
CREATE TYPE address_type AS (
    street TEXT,
    city TEXT,
    postal_code TEXT,
    country TEXT
);

CREATE TYPE order_status AS ENUM ('pending', 'processing', 'shipped', 'delivered', 'cancelled');

-- Use domains for data validation
CREATE DOMAIN email_address AS TEXT 
CHECK (VALUE ~* '^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$');

-- Table using custom types
CREATE TABLE customers (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    email email_address NOT NULL,
    address address_type,
    status order_status DEFAULT 'pending'
);
Range Types
-- PostgreSQL range types
CREATE TABLE reservations (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    room_id INTEGER,
    reservation_period tstzrange,
    price_range numrange
);

-- Range queries
SELECT * FROM reservations 
WHERE reservation_period && tstzrange('2024-07-20', '2024-07-25');

-- Exclude overlapping ranges
ALTER TABLE reservations 
ADD CONSTRAINT no_overlap 
EXCLUDE USING gist (room_id WITH =, reservation_period WITH &&);
Geometric Types
-- PostgreSQL geometric types
CREATE TABLE locations (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT,
    coordinates POINT,
    coverage CIRCLE,
    service_area POLYGON
);

-- Geometric queries
SELECT name FROM locations 
WHERE coordinates <-> point(40.7128, -74.0060) < 10; -- Within 10 units

-- GiST index for geometric data
CREATE INDEX idx_locations_coords ON locations USING gist(coordinates);

📊 PostgreSQL Extensions & Tools

Useful Extensions
-- Enable commonly used extensions
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "uuid-ossp";    -- UUID generation
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "pgcrypto";     -- Cryptographic functions
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "unaccent";     -- Remove accents from text
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "pg_trgm";      -- Trigram matching
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "btree_gin";    -- GIN indexes for btree types

-- Using extensions
SELECT uuid_generate_v4();                     -- Generate UUIDs
SELECT crypt('password', gen_salt('bf'));      -- Hash passwords
SELECT similarity('postgresql', 'postgersql'); -- Fuzzy matching
Monitoring & Maintenance
-- Database size and growth
SELECT pg_size_pretty(pg_database_size(current_database())) as db_size;

-- Table and index sizes
SELECT schemaname, tablename,
       pg_size_pretty(pg_total_relation_size(schemaname||'.'||tablename)) as size
FROM pg_tables 
ORDER BY pg_total_relation_size(schemaname||'.'||tablename) DESC;

-- Index usage statistics
SELECT schemaname, tablename, indexname, idx_scan, idx_tup_read, idx_tup_fetch
FROM pg_stat_user_indexes 
WHERE idx_scan = 0;  -- Unused indexes
PostgreSQL-Specific Optimization Tips
  • Use EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS) for detailed query analysis

  • Configure postgresql.conf for your workload (OLTP vs OLAP)

  • Use connection pooling (pgbouncer) for high-concurrency applications

  • Regular VACUUM and ANALYZE for optimal performance

  • Partition large tables using PostgreSQL 10+ declarative partitioning

  • Use pg_stat_statements for query performance monitoring

📊 Monitoring and Maintenance

Query Performance Monitoring
-- Identify slow queries
SELECT query, calls, total_time, mean_time, rows
FROM pg_stat_statements 
ORDER BY total_time DESC 
LIMIT 10;

-- Check index usage
SELECT schemaname, tablename, indexname, idx_scan, idx_tup_read, idx_tup_fetch
FROM pg_stat_user_indexes 
WHERE idx_scan = 0;
Database Maintenance
  • VACUUM and ANALYZE: Regular maintenance for performance

  • Index Maintenance: Monitor and rebuild fragmented indexes

  • Statistics Updates: Keep query planner statistics current

  • Log Analysis: Regular review of PostgreSQL logs

🛠️ Common Query Patterns

Pagination
-- ❌ BAD: OFFSET for large datasets
SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY id OFFSET 10000 LIMIT 20;

-- ✅ GOOD: Cursor-based pagination
SELECT * FROM products 
WHERE id > $last_id 
ORDER BY id 
LIMIT 20;
Aggregation
-- ❌ BAD: Inefficient grouping
SELECT user_id, COUNT(*) 
FROM orders 
WHERE order_date >= '2024-01-01' 
GROUP BY user_id;

-- ✅ GOOD: Optimized with partial index
CREATE INDEX idx_orders_recent ON orders(user_id) 
WHERE order_date >= '2024-01-01';

SELECT user_id, COUNT(*) 
FROM orders 
WHERE order_date >= '2024-01-01' 
GROUP BY user_id;
JSON Queries
-- ❌ BAD: Inefficient JSON querying
SELECT * FROM users WHERE data::text LIKE '%admin%';

-- ✅ GOOD: JSONB operators and GIN index
CREATE INDEX idx_users_data_gin ON users USING gin(data);

SELECT * FROM users WHERE data @> '{"role": "admin"}';

📋 Optimization Checklist

Query Analysis
  • [ ] Run EXPLAIN ANALYZE for expensive queries

  • [ ] Check for sequential scans on large tables

  • [ ] Verify appropriate join algorithms

  • [ ] Review WHERE clause selectivity

  • [ ] Analyze sort and aggregation operations

Index Strategy
  • [ ] Create indexes for frequently queried columns

  • [ ] Use composite indexes for multi-column searches

  • [ ] Consider partial indexes for filtered queries

  • [ ] Remove unused or duplicate indexes

  • [ ] Monitor index bloat and fragmentation

Security Review
  • [ ] Use parameterized queries exclusively

  • [ ] Implement proper access controls

  • [ ] Enable row-level security where needed

  • [ ] Audit sensitive data access

  • [ ] Use secure connection methods

Performance Monitoring
  • [ ] Set up query performance monitoring

  • [ ] Configure appropriate log settings

  • [ ] Monitor connection pool usage

  • [ ] Track database growth and maintenance needs

  • [ ] Set up alerting for performance degradation

🎯 Optimization Output Format

Query Analysis Results
## Query Performance Analysis

**Original Query**:
[Original SQL with performance issues]

**Issues Identified**:
- Sequential scan on large table (Cost: 15000.00)
- Missing index on frequently queried column
- Inefficient join order

**Optimized Query**:
[Improved SQL with explanations]

**Recommended Indexes**:
```sql
CREATE INDEX idx_table_column ON table(column);

Performance Impact: Expected 80% improvement in execution time


## 🚀 Advanced PostgreSQL Features

### Window Functions
```sql
-- Running totals and rankings
SELECT 
    product_id,
    order_date,
    amount,
    SUM(amount) OVER (PARTITION BY product_id ORDER BY order_date) as running_total,
    ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY product_id ORDER BY amount DESC) as rank
FROM sales;
Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
-- Recursive queries for hierarchical data
WITH RECURSIVE category_tree AS (
    SELECT id, name, parent_id, 1 as level
    FROM categories 
    WHERE parent_id IS NULL
    
    UNION ALL
    
    SELECT c.id, c.name, c.parent_id, ct.level + 1
    FROM categories c
    JOIN category_tree ct ON c.parent_id = ct.id
)
SELECT * FROM category_tree ORDER BY level, name;

Focus on providing specific, actionable PostgreSQL optimizations that improve query performance, security, and maintainability while leveraging PostgreSQL's advanced features.

Files

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: GitHub Copilot

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

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Attribution and licence

Originally contributed by
GitHub avatar of shubham070@shubham070as prompts/postgresql-optimization.prompt.mdmoved into a skill by pull request #761
Publisher
GitHub (Official)
Distributed by
GitHub
Source
github/awesome-copilot · skills/postgresql-optimization · commit 797337f
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced
Contributors
CypherHK, derekclair, shubham070

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by shubham070 or GitHub.

Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download postgresql-optimization.zip