Supabase Postgres Best Practices

Supabase PostgreSQL Best Practices

Source: https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills

Rule Categories (Prioritized by Impact)

1. Query Performance (CRITICAL)

• Always add indexes for columns used in WHERE, JOIN, and ORDER BY clauses
• Use partial indexes for filtered queries: CREATE INDEX idx_active ON users(email) WHERE active = true
• Prefer EXISTS over IN for subqueries
• Avoid SELECT * - specify only needed columns
• Use EXPLAIN ANALYZE to verify query plans
• Add composite indexes for multi-column queries (column order matters)
• Use covering indexes to avoid heap lookups

2. Connection Management (CRITICAL)

• Use Supabase connection pooler (PgBouncer) for serverless/edge functions
• Use transaction mode for short-lived queries
• Use session mode only when needed (prepared statements, advisory locks)
• Set appropriate pool size limits
• Release connections promptly - avoid holding connections during external calls
• Use connection timeouts to prevent leaks

3. Security & RLS (CRITICAL)

• Enable RLS on ALL tables exposed via Supabase API
• Write policies using auth.uid() and auth.jwt()
• Avoid functions marked SECURITY DEFINER unless necessary
• Use SECURITY INVOKER as default for functions
• Never trust client-side data - validate in policies
• Test RLS policies with different roles
• Use USING for read policies, WITH CHECK for write policies

4. Schema Design (HIGH)

• Use appropriate data types (e.g., uuid for IDs, timestamptz for times)
• Add NOT NULL constraints where applicable
• Use CHECK constraints for data validation
• Prefer text over varchar(n) unless length limit is meaningful
• Use partial indexes instead of filtered queries
• Design schemas for the access patterns, not just the data model

5. Concurrency & Locking (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• Use SELECT ... FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED for queue patterns
• Keep transactions short to minimize lock contention
• Avoid long-running transactions during migrations
• Use advisory locks for application-level coordination
• Be aware of lock ordering to prevent deadlocks

6. Data Access Patterns (MEDIUM)

• Use Supabase client libraries for standard CRUD
• Use RPC functions for complex operations
• Implement pagination with cursor-based approach (not OFFSET)
• Use realtime subscriptions judiciously
• Batch operations where possible

7. Monitoring & Diagnostics (LOW-MEDIUM)

• Monitor pg_stat_statements for slow queries
• Check pg_stat_user_indexes for unused indexes
• Monitor connection count and pool utilization
• Set up alerts for long-running queries
• Review lock waits periodically

8. Advanced Features (LOW)

• Use CTEs for readable complex queries (but note CTE materialization)
• Leverage PostgreSQL extensions (pgvector, pg_trgm, etc.)
• Use generated columns for computed values
• Consider table partitioning for very large tables
• Use LISTEN/NOTIFY for event-driven patterns

References

• Supabase Documentation: https://supabase.com/docs
• PostgreSQL Official Docs: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/
• Supabase Agent Skills: https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills

For detailed rule files with specific examples, see templates/guides/supabase-postgres/.

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