SAVEPOINT(7)

🫶 bestie, welcome to SAVEPOINT(7) from the PostgreSQL 13.23 Documentation 🫶

okay so this page is literally about making little checkpoint marks inside a transaction, and it’s giving “save your progress before the boss fight” energy. no cap, it’s useful.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

SAVEPOINT — define a new savepoint within the current transaction. periodt.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

SAVEPOINT savepoint_name

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

SAVEPOINT establishes a new savepoint within the current transaction. iconic behavior.

A savepoint is a special mark inside a transaction that allows all commands that are executed after it was established to be rolled back, restoring the transaction state to what it was at the time of the savepoint. it’s like a little “bestie, remember this exact moment” bookmark, except for your transaction 💅

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🎀 PARAMETERS 🎀

• savepoint_name — the name to give to the new savepoint. If savepoints with the same name already exist, they will be inaccessible until newer identically-named savepoints are released. yes, the newer one is the main character for now 👑

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💜 NOTES 💜

• Use ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (ROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT(7)) to rollback to a savepoint.
• Use RELEASE SAVEPOINT (RELEASE_SAVEPOINT(7)) to destroy a savepoint, keeping the effects of commands executed after it was established.
• Savepoints can only be established when inside a transaction block.
• There can be multiple savepoints defined within a transaction. lowkey a whole collection 🫶

no cap: savepoints can only be established when inside a transaction block. that part matters.

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🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

To establish a savepoint and later undo the effects of all commands executed after it was established:

           BEGIN;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (1);
               SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (2);
               ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);
           COMMIT;

The above transaction will insert the values 1 and 3, but not 2. the 2 said “not today” 💀

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To establish and later destroy a savepoint:

           BEGIN;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);
               SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (4);
               RELEASE SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
           COMMIT;

The above transaction will insert both 3 and 4. slay, both made it in.

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To use a single savepoint name:

           BEGIN;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (1);
               SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (2);
               SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);

               -- rollback to the second savepoint
               ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               SELECT * FROM table1;               -- shows rows 1 and 2

               -- release the second savepoint
               RELEASE SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;

               -- rollback to the first savepoint
               ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               SELECT * FROM table1;               -- shows only row 1
           COMMIT;

The above transaction shows row 3 being rolled back first, then row 2. it’s giving layered drama, honestly.

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💀 COMPATIBILITY 💀

SQL requires a savepoint to be destroyed automatically when another savepoint with the same name is established. In PostgreSQL, the old savepoint is kept, though only the more recent one will be used when rolling back or releasing. (Releasing the newer savepoint with RELEASE SAVEPOINT will cause the older one to again become accessible to ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT and RELEASE SAVEPOINT.) Otherwise, SAVEPOINT is fully SQL conforming.

so yeah — PostgreSQL keeps the old one around. not me expecting it to vanish 🙈

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🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

• BEGIN(7)
• COMMIT(7)
• RELEASE SAVEPOINT (RELEASE_SAVEPOINT(7))
• ROLLBACK(7)
• ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (ROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT(7))

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okay that’s the whole page, bestie 💖 this little masterpiece is from PostgreSQL 13.23, dated 2025, and it’s the SAVEPOINT(7) manual page. go forth and save your points 💅✨