LOAD(7)

🌸 NAME 🌸

LOAD — load a shared library file. This is the LOAD(7) page, bestie, and it's lowkey iconic.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

LOAD 'filename'

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so LOAD loads a shared library file into the PostgreSQL server's address space. If the file has already been loaded, the command does nothing — literally nothing, no rerun chaos.

Shared library files that contain C functions are automatically loaded whenever one of their functions is called. That means an explicit LOAD is usually only needed to load a library that modifies the server's behavior through “hooks” rather than providing a set of functions. Main character library energy, honestly.

The library file name is typically given as just a bare file name, which is sought in the server's library search path (set by dynamic_library_path). Alternatively it can be given as a full path name. In either case the platform's standard shared library file name extension may be omitted. See Section 38.10.1 for more information on this topic. 🦋

Non-superusers can only apply LOAD to library files located in $libdir/plugins/ — the specified filename must begin with exactly that string. (It is the database administrator's responsibility to ensure that only “safe” libraries are installed there.) So yeah, admin gatekeeping, and honestly valid 💅

🌈 COMPATIBILITY 🌈

LOAD is a PostgreSQL extension. Periodt.

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

• CREATE FUNCTION (CREATE_FUNCTION(7))

Stay loaded, bestie 🫶 — PostgreSQL 16.15 Documentation · 2026 · LOAD(7).