Supabase Postgres Best Practices

---
name: supabase-postgres-best-practices
description: "Postgres best practices maintained by Supabase, for Postgres running anywhere: schema design, column types, indexes, migrations, RLS policies, connection pooling, locking and query performance. Use when designing or reviewing a Postgres schema, migration or RLS policy, writing non-trivial SQL, or diagnosing slow queries, timeouts, connection exhaustion, locking or bloat."
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: supabase
  version: "1.1.1"
  organization: Supabase
  date: January 2026
  abstract: Comprehensive Postgres performance optimization guide for developers using Supabase and Postgres. Contains performance rules across 8 categories, prioritized by impact from critical (query performance, connection management) to incremental (advanced features). Each rule includes detailed explanations, incorrect vs. correct SQL examples, query plan analysis, and specific performance metrics to guide automated optimization and code generation.
---

# Supabase Postgres Best Practices

> Code examples here carry comments and labels to teach. Code you write follows the shared rules: no comments, no docstrings, no em dashes.
> SQL here is illustrative. Never run destructive or state-changing SQL (DDL, `revoke`, `drop`, extension changes, stat resets) against a shared or production database without a plan step marked `REQUIRES HUMAN APPROVAL`.

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for Postgres, maintained by Supabase. Contains rules across 8 categories, prioritized by impact to guide automated query optimization and schema design.

## When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:
- Writing SQL queries or designing schemas
- Implementing indexes or query optimization
- Reviewing database performance issues
- Configuring connection pooling or scaling
- Optimizing for Postgres-specific features
- Working with Row-Level Security (RLS)

## Rule Categories by Priority

| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|----------|----------|--------|--------|
| 1 | Query Performance | CRITICAL | `query-` |
| 2 | Connection Management | CRITICAL | `conn-` |
| 3 | Security & RLS | CRITICAL | `security-` |
| 4 | Schema Design | HIGH | `schema-` |
| 5 | Concurrency & Locking | MEDIUM-HIGH | `lock-` |
| 6 | Data Access Patterns | MEDIUM | `data-` |
| 7 | Monitoring & Diagnostics | LOW-MEDIUM | `monitor-` |
| 8 | Advanced Features | LOW | `advanced-` |

## How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and SQL examples:

```
references/query-missing-indexes.md
references/query-partial-indexes.md
references/_sections.md
```

Each rule file contains:
- Brief explanation of why it matters
- Incorrect SQL example with explanation
- Correct SQL example with explanation
- Optional EXPLAIN output or metrics
- Additional context and references
- Supabase-specific notes (when applicable)

## References

- https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/
- https://supabase.com/docs
- https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Performance_Optimization
- https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/overview
- https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth/row-level-security