supported-postgresql-extensions.mdx

title	Supported PostgreSQL extensions
description	This page presents the PostgreSQL extensions supported by Serverless SQL Databases and the steps to use them
tags	sql-databases serverless database extensions postgresql pgvector postgis timescaledb
dates	validation posted 2025-10-23 2024-10-08

import Requirements from '@macros/iam/requirements.mdx'

Serverless SQL Databases support the most popular PostgreSQL extensions. Due to autoscaling and built-in connection pooling, some advanced features of extensions might be limited or require workarounds.

• A Scaleway account logged into the console
• Owner status or IAM permissions allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
• Created a Serverless SQL Database

Install an extension

1. Connect to your Serverless SQL Database with a PostgreSQL client (such as psql):

   psql "postgres://[user-or-application-id]:[api-secret-key]@[database-hostname]:5432/[database-name]?sslmode=require"

2. Run the following command to create an extension using SQL:

   CREATE EXTENSION extension_name;

3. Use the supported features of the extension. For instance, if you installed pgvector with CREATE EXTENSION vector, you can create a vector and query it:

   CREATE TABLE songs (id bigserial PRIMARY KEY, embedding vector(3));
   INSERT INTO songs (embedding) VALUES ('[1,1,1]'), ('[2,2,2]'), ('[0,1,2]');
   SELECT * FROM songs ORDER BY embedding <-> '[3,3,3]' LIMIT 5;

   This example will find the nearest vectors (using L2 distance) from '[3,3,3]':

    id | embedding 
   ----+-----------
    2  | [2,2,2]
    1  | [1,1,1]
    3  | [0,1,2]

Supported extensions

The following PostgreSQL extensions are available with Serverless SQL Databases:

Extension	Description and known limitations
address_standardizer	Parses addresses into their constituent elements, typically used in the geocoding normalization process.
address_standardizer_data_us	Provides a dataset example for the US Address Standardizer extension.
bloom	Implements a Bloom filter-based index, ideal for situations where space efficiency is crucial.
btree_gin	Adds support for indexing common data types using the GIN (Generalized Inverted Index) method.
btree_gist	Adds support for indexing common data types using the GiST (Generalized Search Tree) method.
citext	Provides a case-insensitive character string data type for easier text comparison.
cube	Defines a data type for representing multidimensional cubes, useful in mathematical and geometrical computations.
dict_int	Offers a text search dictionary template optimized for integer values.
dict_xsyn	Provides a text search dictionary template for advanced synonym processing, improving search accuracy. Features requiring direct access to the file system will not be supported (eg. custom synonym lists).
earthdistance	Calculates great-circle distances between points on Earth, useful in geographical applications.
fuzzystrmatch	Determines similarities and differences between strings, helpful for tasks like data deduplication.
hstore	Stores sets of key-value pairs in a single value, enabling a flexible schema for semi-structured data.
intagg	Aggregates and enumerates integer values, though it is considered obsolete since PG 8.4, and official support has been integrated in PostgreSQL directly
intarray	Provides functions, operators, and indexing support for one-dimensional arrays of integers, enhancing array processing.
isn	Supports data types for international product numbering standards, such as ISBN and EAN.
ltree	Defines a data type for representing tree-like structures in a hierarchical manner, facilitating complex data modeling.
pg_cron	Schedules jobs within PostgreSQL using a cron-like syntax, automating routine database tasks. pg_cron requires the database to be in an active state permanently, and thus that you provision at least one vCPU for the extension to properly work.
pg_prewarm	Preloads relation data into memory to reduce initial disk I/O latency and improve performance.
pg_stat_statements	Tracks planning and execution statistics for all SQL statements, aiding in performance tuning.
pg_trgm	Measures text similarity and provides index searching based on trigrams, enhancing text search capabilities.
pgcrypto	Provides cryptographic functions for data encryption, decryption, and hashing, essential for secure data storage.
pgrouting	Extends PostgreSQL and PostGIS with geospatial routing capabilities, enabling the calculation of shortest paths and other routing operations.
pgrowlocks	Displays information about row-level locking, helping in the diagnosis of concurrency issues.
pgvector	Supports vector similarity search, often used for storing and searching embeddings in machine learning applications. Query options using SET command require to be used in a single transaction (i.e. between BEGIN; (...) COMMIT;)
plpgsql	Enables the use of PL/pgSQL, a procedural language for PostgreSQL that allows complex control structures and query manipulation.
postgis	Adds support for geographic objects, allowing location queries to be run in SQL, and is the foundation of the geographic information system (GIS) functionality in PostgreSQL.
postgis_raster	Implements raster data support in PostGIS, enabling analysis and storage of raster images alongside vector data.
postgis_sfcgal	Adds advanced 3D geometry functions to PostGIS, leveraging the SFCGAL library for complex spatial operations.
postgis_tiger_geocoder	Provides geocoding and reverse geocoding capabilities based on the US Census TIGER data within PostGIS.
postgis_topology	Supports topological data models in PostGIS, allowing for advanced spatial relationships and analyses.
tablefunc	Offers functions for manipulating entire tables, including crosstab operations for pivot tables.
timescaledb	Enables efficient handling and analysis of time-series data, extending PostgreSQL with specialized time-series functions.
tsm_system_rows	Implements a TABLESAMPLE method that limits the number of rows returned, useful for sampling large datasets.
tsm_system_time	Implements a TABLESAMPLE method that limits rows based on a time duration, useful for time-based sampling.
unaccent	Provides a text search dictionary that removes accents from characters, improving text search accuracy.
uuid-ossp	Generates universally unique identifiers (UUIDs), essential for ensuring data uniqueness across distributed systems.