Standbys that must confirm commits (synchronous replication).
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | synchronous_standby_names |
| Category | Replication |
| Default | '' |
| Value type | boolean / enum / numeric |
| Change scope | Reload (no restart) |
What it does
Names the standbys whose confirmation is required before a synchronous commit returns, with FIRST/ANY quorum syntax for how many must reply.
How to apply a change
Takes effect on configuration reload (sighup context). Run SELECT pg_reload_conf(); or send SIGHUP — no restart needed.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW synchronous_standby_names; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'synchronous_standby_names';.
Tuning guidance
Use ANY/FIRST quorum across multiple standbys for HA without single-standby latency coupling. An empty list (default) means asynchronous replication. Misconfiguration can stall all commits if no sync standby is available.