Specifies the number of inserted tuples needed to trigger a VACUUM in any one table.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | autovacuum_vacuum_insert_threshold |
| Category | Vacuuming |
| Default | 1000 |
| Value type | integer |
| Change scope | Reload (postgresql.conf, SIGHUP) |
| Available in | PostgreSQL 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (added in 13) |
What it does
Specifies the number of inserted tuples needed to trigger a VACUUM in any one table. The default is 1000 tuples. If -1 is specified, autovacuum will not trigger a VACUUM operation on any tables based on the number of inserts. This parameter can only be set in the postgresql.conf file or on the server command line; but the setting can be overridden for individual tables by changing table storage parameters.
(Description quoted from the official PostgreSQL documentation.)
How to apply a change
Set it in postgresql.conf (or with ALTER SYSTEM) and reload with SELECT pg_reload_conf(); or pg_ctl reload — no restart needed.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW autovacuum_vacuum_insert_threshold; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum_vacuum_insert_threshold';.
Tuning guidance
Lower it so insert-only tables get vacuumed (to set visibility-map bits and enable index-only scans) without waiting for dead tuples; raise it to reduce vacuum frequency on append-heavy tables.
Reference
PostgreSQL documentation — autovacuum_vacuum_insert_threshold.