REINDEXDB(1)

💖 NAME 💖

okay so this is REINDEXDB(1), and the main character is reindexdb — the utility for reindexing a PostgreSQL database. That's the whole name vibe, bestie. 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

Here's the exact shape of it, no cap:

reindexdb [connection-option...] [option...] [ -S | --schema schema ]...
          [ -t | --table table ]...  [ -i | --index index ]...  [dbname]

reindexdb [connection-option...] [option...] -a | --all

reindexdb [connection-option...] [option...] -s | --system  [dbname]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

reindexdb is a utility for rebuilding indexes in a PostgreSQL database. It's giving "index glow-up," and honestly? Iconic. 💅

It's a wrapper around the SQL command REINDEX. There is no effective difference between reindexing databases via this utility and via other methods for accessing the server — same energy, same result. ✨

🌸 OPTIONS 🌸

reindexdb accepts the following command-line arguments, and yes, we're listing every single one because we don't skip:

• -a, --all — Reindex all databases.
• --concurrently — Use the CONCURRENTLY option. See REINDEX(7), where all the caveats of this option are explained in detail.
• [-d] dbname, [--dbname=]dbname — Specifies the name of the database to be reindexed, when -a/--all is not used. If this is not specified, the database name is read from the environment variable PGDATABASE. If that is not set, the user name specified for the connection is used. The dbname can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options.
• -e, --echo — Echo the commands that reindexdb generates and sends to the server.
• -i index, --index=index — Recreate index only. Multiple indexes can be recreated by writing multiple -i switches.
• -j njobs, --jobs=njobs — Execute the reindex commands in parallel by running njobs commands simultaneously. This option may reduce the processing time but it also increases the load on the database server.

reindexdb will open njobs connections to the database, so make sure your max_connections setting is high enough to accommodate all connections.

Note that this option is incompatible with the --index and --system options.

• -q, --quiet — Do not display progress messages.
• -s, --system — Reindex database's system catalogs only.
• -S schema, --schema=schema — Reindex schema only. Multiple schemas can be reindexed by writing multiple -S switches.
• -t table, --table=table — Reindex table only. Multiple tables can be reindexed by writing multiple -t switches.
• --tablespace=tablespace — Specifies the tablespace where indexes are rebuilt. (This name is processed as a double-quoted identifier.)
• -v, --verbose — Print detailed information during processing.
• -V, --version — Print the reindexdb version and exit.
• -?, --help — Show help about reindexdb command line arguments, and exit.

🔌 Connection parameters 🔌

reindexdb also accepts the following command-line arguments for connection parameters, iykyk:

• -h host, --host=host — Specifies the host name of the machine on which the server is running. If the value begins with a slash, it is used as the directory for the Unix domain socket.
• -p port, --port=port — Specifies the TCP port or local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections.
• -U username, --username=username — User name to connect as.
• -w, --no-password — Never issue a password prompt. If the server requires password authentication and a password is not available by other means such as a .pgpass file, the connection attempt will fail. This option can be useful in batch jobs and scripts where no user is present to enter a password.
• -W, --password — Force reindexdb to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.

This option is never essential, since reindexdb will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentication. However, reindexdb will waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a password. In some cases it is worth typing -W to avoid the extra connection attempt.

• --maintenance-db=dbname — When the -a/--all is used, connect to this database to gather the list of databases to reindex. If not specified, the postgres database will be used, or if that does not exist, template1 will be used. This can be a connection string. If so, connection string parameters will override any conflicting command line options. Also, connection string parameters other than the database name itself will be re-used when connecting to other databases.

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

• PGDATABASE, PGHOST, PGPORT, PGUSER — Default connection parameters. Bestie, these are the usual suspects.
• PG_COLOR — Specifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are always, auto and never.

This utility, like most other PostgreSQL utilities, also uses the environment variables supported by libpq (see Section 34.15).

💀 DIAGNOSTICS 💀

In case of difficulty, see REINDEX(7) and psql(1) for discussions of potential problems and error messages. The database server must be running at the targeted host. Also, any default connection settings and environment variables used by the libpq front-end library will apply.

🎀 NOTES 🎀

reindexdb might need to connect several times to the PostgreSQL server, asking for a password each time. It is convenient to have a ~/.pgpass file in such cases. See Section 34.16 for more information.

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

To reindex the database test:

$ reindexdb test

To reindex the table foo and the index bar in a database named abcd:

$ reindexdb --table=foo --index=bar abcd

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

REINDEX(7)

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Okay that's the whole REINDEXDB(1) page, bestie. Source/version vibe check: PostgreSQL 15.19, dated 2026. Now go forth and reindex, slay 💅✨