01
Queries taking seconds
Sequential scans on large tables pushing database CPU to its limit.
Slow queries, high database CPU and connection saturation
PostgreSQL query performance optimization
Find the queries that cost the most, fix them with targeted indexes and query changes, and add connection pooling before load turns into an outage.
Symptoms
Signs your platform has this problem
If several of these sound familiar, the plan below is where we would start.
02
Connection pool saturation
Serverless functions and containers exhausting PostgreSQL connections.
03
Table bloat
Dead tuples slowing queries and wasting storage because autovacuum can't keep up.
Remediation plan
How we fix it, step by step
Each phase ends with a measurement, so you can see what changed before the next one starts.
01
Query profiling
Enabling pg_stat_statements and reading EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS) for the most expensive queries.
02
Indexing and schema tuning
Adding partial, composite and GIN indexes where plans show sequential scans.
03
Connection pooling
Running PgBouncer in transaction mode or RDS Proxy, so many clients share a small pool of connections.
04
Autovacuum tuning
Adjusting autovacuum thresholds and cost limits for the busiest tables.
Technical checklist
Remediation checklist
What we check before a change goes to production:
- Identify the most expensive queries by total time in pg_stat_statements
- Replace full table scans with targeted composite and partial indexes
- Deploy RDS Proxy or PgBouncer to multiplex database connections
- Tune shared_buffers, work_mem and autovacuum settings
What we measure
We take a baseline first and report the same measurements after each change, from your own monitoring — evidence, not promised results.
- Query time
- Total and p95 time for the top queries, before and after
- Database CPU
- Primary CPU at peak, from your monitoring
- Connections
- Active and waiting connections at peak
Related service
Custom software
Custom software for Indian SMEs and startups, built around your workflow with an agreed scope, review milestones, clear ownership and documented handover.
Explore Custom softwareQuestions
Questions about this remediation
Mostly, yes. Indexes are built with CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY, so reads and writes continue during the build. Some changes, such as certain column type changes, need a planned window, which we flag in advance.
Each function instance opens its own database connection. PgBouncer or RDS Proxy multiplexes thousands of function calls over a small pool of persistent connections.
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Want an engineer to look at this with you?
Send us the symptoms and any metrics you have. We'll reply within one business day, set up a call and agree what to measure before anything changes.