TLDR Data · OPINIONS & ADVICE

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF ONE MORE INDEX

boringsql.com11 min read

Summary from the TLDR Data newsletter

Coding agents now produce competent PostgreSQL schemas, but they tend to stack indexes onto hot operational tables. In a measured support-ticket workload, extra indexes nearly doubled update time and WAL while increasing VACUUM work. Index review needs write-path evidence, HOT-update awareness, and usage counters, not just fast read plans.