LOAD(7)

💖 LOAD(7) — the shared-library glow-up 💖

hey bestie, welcome to the LOAD(7) page from the PostgreSQL 17.11 documentation. this one is short and lowkey iconic: it’s all about loading a shared library file into the server. let’s get into it 🫶

🎀 NAME 🎀

LOAD — load a shared library file 🌸

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

LOAD 'filename'

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so picture this: LOAD loads a shared library file straight into the PostgreSQL server's address space. yes, that’s the main-character move. if the file has already been loaded, the command does nothing — that’s it, no extra behavior. periodt 💅

shared library files that contain C functions are automatically loaded whenever one of their functions is called. so you usually don’t need to yell LOAD manually for those. an explicit LOAD is usually only needed when you’re loading a library that modifies the server’s behavior through “hooks” instead of providing a set of functions. iykyk ✨

the library file name is typically given as just a bare file name, and that name is sought in the server’s library search path — which is set by dynamic_library_path. alternatively, you can give it as a full path name. in either case, the platform’s standard shared library file name extension may be omitted. for more information on this topic, see Section 36.10.1 — yes, that section, go read it bestie 📚

⚠️ 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 like, no chaotic random libraries in that folder, pls 🙈)

💀 COMPATIBILITY 💀

LOAD is a PostgreSQL extension. that’s it, that’s the tea ☕

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• CREATE FUNCTION (CREATE_FUNCTION(7)) — another page to check out, bestie 💜

okay that’s the whole LOAD(7) moment 🍓 source/version: PostgreSQL 17.11; date: 2026; manual: LOAD(7). mwah 💋