Master switch for the autovacuum daemon.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | autovacuum |
| Category | Autovacuum |
| Default | on |
| Value type | boolean / enum / numeric |
| Change scope | Reload (no restart) |
What it does
Controls whether the autovacuum launcher runs to automatically VACUUM and ANALYZE tables. Even when off, autovacuum still runs to prevent transaction-ID wraparound.
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 autovacuum; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum';.
Tuning guidance
Leave on — turning it off is a classic cause of bloat and wraparound emergencies. Tune per-table thresholds instead of disabling.