# archive_cleanup_command

> archive_cleanup_command sets the shell command that will be executed at every restart point. It is a sighup setting present in PG12–18; the latest recorded boot default is empty.
---

> [!NOTE]
> **Fact — official short description:** “Sets the shell command that will be executed at every restart point.”

## Identity {#identity}

| Field | Value | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Type | `string` | Upstream pg_settings type |
| Context | `sighup` | Takes effect after configuration reload |
| Unit | — | Raw unit |
| Range | — | Raw limits in the last observed version |
| Enum values | — | — for non-enum types |
| Category | Write-Ahead Log / Archive Recovery | Upstream classification |
| Latest boot value | `""` | empty string |
{.fields meta="-"}

## Lifecycle {#lifecycle}

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| First observed | PG12 |
| Present in | PG12–19 Beta 3 |
| Removed in | No |
| Introduction commit | [`2dedf4d9a899`](https://git.postgresql.org/gitweb/?p=postgresql.git;a=commit;h=2dedf4d9a899b36d1a8ed29be5efbd1b31a8fe85) — Integrate recovery.conf into postgresql.conf |
| Commit date | 2018-11-25 |
| Discussion | [thread 1](https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/flat/607741529606767@web3g.yandex.ru/) |

## Default history {#default-history}

| Versions | Raw `boot_val` | Unit | Human value |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PG12–19 Beta 3 | `""` | — | empty string |
{.full-width caption="Measured PG9.0–19 Beta 3 boot defaults"}

## How it works {#mechanism}

Sets the shell command that will be executed at every restart point. A configuration reload applies a new value; existing work already in flight is not retroactively changed.

At every restartpoint during archive recovery, PostgreSQL expands %r to the oldest WAL file still needed for a restartable recovery and runs this command. pg_archivecleanup is the usual implementation, but deleting from an archive shared by several standbys can strand another consumer.

Monitor and change archive_cleanup_command together with archive_mode, archive_command, archive_library. Validate on the relevant server role and real workload, then use its sighup context to choose session change, reload, or restart; a historical boot default is not the current effective value.

## Tuning advice {#tuning-advice}

> [!TIP]
> **Advice.** These are workload-specific starting points and must be validated with measurements.

| Workload | Guidance |
| --- | --- |
| OLTP | Manage archive_cleanup_command as part of the backup/restore protocol: the command or module must be idempotent, fail visibly, and be verified by restoring from the real archive—not merely by exit status. |
| OLAP | Provision archive throughput and capacity for bulk-load WAL peaks. If archiving falls behind, throttle the job and alert; never hide backlog with false success or aggressive cleanup. |
| Small nodes | Enable it only for a defined PITR requirement and use a mature backup tool. Keep rebuildable instances simple, but never install a no-op command that creates the illusion of a backup. |
{.full-width}

## Pigsty {#pigsty}

Values use the fixed 8-vCPU, 32-GiB, 100-GiB SSD fixture and render the current Pigsty templates for PG19 Beta 3; this does not assert current Pigsty support for that historical or beta release.

| Template | Effective value | Versus upstream boot | Source expression |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| OLTP | Unmodified | — | — |
| OLAP | Unmodified | — | — |
| CRIT | Unmodified | — | — |
| TINY | Unmodified | — | — |
{.full-width}

> [!CAUTION]
> **Advice — pending human review.** Fact from the current Pigsty template projection: OLTP: PG12–19 Beta 3 unmodified; OLAP: PG12–19 Beta 3 unmodified; CRIT: PG12–19 Beta 3 unmodified; TINY: PG12–19 Beta 3 unmodified. No Pigsty-specific rationale is inferred from an absent override.

## Common pitfalls {#common-pitfalls}

- Running destructive cleanup against an archive shared by other standbys or restore jobs.
- Misreading %r as the last replayed file; it is the earliest file needed to keep recovery restartable.
- Using a command that is not idempotent when a restartpoint repeats or an archive file is already absent.
- Assuming a reload executes the command immediately; it runs at recovery restartpoints.
- Letting shell quoting or an unexpected archive path turn cleanup into deletion outside the intended archive.

## Related parameters {#related-parameters}

[`archive_mode`](/parameters/archive-mode/) · [`archive_command`](/parameters/archive-command/) · [`archive_library`](/parameters/archive-library/) · [`archive_timeout`](/parameters/archive-timeout/) · [`restore_command`](/parameters/restore-command/) · [`recovery_end_command`](/parameters/recovery-end-command/)

## References {#references}

- [PostgreSQL 19 Beta 3 — archive_cleanup_command](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/19/runtime-config-wal.html#GUC-ARCHIVE-CLEANUP-COMMAND)
- [PostgreSQL 19 release notes](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/19/release-19.html)
- [Machine-readable GUC export](/data/guc.jsonl)