Vacuum at the Page Level

Databases & Storage(boringsql.com)view on HackerNews
VACUUMPostgreSQLdatabasesstorageline pointersfree space mapvisibility mapheap scanindex cleanupheap cleanup.

Author: radimm

Date: 7/6/2026

Article Summary:
This article provides a detailed explanation of how PostgreSQL's VACUUM process works, including its three phases: heap scan and pruning, index cleanup, and heap cleanup. It also covers the line pointer lifecycle, free space map, and visibility map.