This variable specifies the default tablespace in which to create objects (tables and indexes) when a CREATE command does not explicitly specify a tablespace.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Parameter | default_tablespace |
| Category | Client Connection Defaults |
| Default | (see documentation) |
| Value type | string |
| Change scope | Per-session (SET) |
| Available in | PostgreSQL 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (added in 12) |
What it does
This variable specifies the default tablespace in which to create objects (tables and indexes) when a CREATE command does not explicitly specify a tablespace.
The value is either the name of a tablespace, or an empty string to specify using the default tablespace of the current database. If the value does not match the name of any existing tablespace, PostgreSQL will automatically use the default tablespace of the current database. If a nondefault tablespace is specified, the user must have CREATE privilege for it, or creation attempts will fail.
(Description quoted from the official PostgreSQL documentation.)
How to apply a change
Can be set per session with SET, per role/database with ALTER ROLE/DATABASE ... SET, or globally in postgresql.conf.
Inspect the current value and source with SHOW default_tablespace; or SELECT name, setting, unit, context, source FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'default_tablespace';.
Tuning guidance
This sets a session default (locale, formatting, search path or transaction behaviour) rather than a performance knob. Set it per role or database with ALTER ROLE/DATABASE ... SET so the right default follows the right workload, and prefer setting it explicitly in the application for behaviour the query results depend on.