START_TRANSACTION(7pg15)

Okay so bestie, welcome to the START_TRANSACTION page (aka START TRANSACTION(7)) from the PostgreSQL 15.19 docs, manual page 7pg15 — yes, the one all about starting a transaction block. It’s giving main character energy, and we’re covering every single detail. 💖

🎀 NAME 🎀

START_TRANSACTION — start a transaction block

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

START TRANSACTION [ transaction_mode [, ...] ]

where transaction_mode is one of:

    ISOLATION LEVEL { SERIALIZABLE | REPEATABLE READ | READ COMMITTED | READ UNCOMMITTED }
    READ WRITE | READ ONLY
    [ NOT ] DEFERRABLE

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

This command begins a new transaction block. If the isolation level, read/write mode, or deferrable mode is specified, the new transaction has those characteristics, as if SET TRANSACTION was executed. Lowkey iconic. This is the same as the BEGIN command. Periodt. ✨

🌸 PARAMETERS 🌸

Refer to SET TRANSACTION (SET_TRANSACTION(7)) for information on the meaning of the parameters to this statement. That’s the whole vibe check for this section, bestie. 🫶

🦋 COMPATIBILITY 🦋

• In the standard, it is not necessary to issue START TRANSACTION to start a transaction block: any SQL command implicitly begins a block. PostgreSQL’s behavior can be seen as implicitly issuing a COMMIT after each command that does not follow START TRANSACTION (or BEGIN), and it is therefore often called “autocommit”. Other relational database systems might offer an autocommit feature as a convenience.
• The DEFERRABLE transaction_mode is a PostgreSQL language extension. Noted, bestie.
• The SQL standard requires commas between successive transaction_modes, but for historical reasons PostgreSQL allows the commas to be omitted. History said “no commas needed,” and honestly? Slay.
• See also the compatibility section of SET TRANSACTION (SET_TRANSACTION(7)). 👑

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• BEGIN(7)
• COMMIT(7)
• ROLLBACK(7)
• SAVEPOINT(7)
• SET TRANSACTION (SET_TRANSACTION(7))

💖 That’s the whole page, bestie! Source/version: PostgreSQL 15.19; date: 2026. Bye and mwah! 🫶🎀