default_text_search_config

default_text_search_config is the PostgreSQL setting that defines default text search configuration.

Note

Fact — official short description: “Sets default text search configuration.”

Identity

Type , Valuestring: Upstream pg_settings type
Context , Valueuser: Settable by an ordinary user
Unit , Value—: Raw unit
Range , Value—: Raw limits in the last observed version
Enum values , Value—: — for non-enum types
Category , ValueClient Connection Defaults / Locale and Formatting: Upstream classification
Latest boot value , Valuepg_catalog.simple: pg_catalog.simple

Lifecycle

Fact	Value
First observed	PG9.0 (research boundary)
Present in	PG9.0–19 Beta 3
Removed in	No
Introduction commit	Not asserted: predates the PG9.0 research boundary
Commit date	—
Discussion	—

Default history

Measured PG9.0–19 Beta 3 boot defaults
Versions	Raw `boot_val`	Unit	Human value
PG9.0–19 Beta 3	`pg_catalog.simple`	—	pg_catalog.simple

How it works

default_text_search_config sets default text search configuration. Text-search functions use it only when the caller omits an explicit configuration; initdb may choose a locale-matching value instead of the built-in simple configuration.

default_text_search_config is a USER-context setting. An authorized role can change it for a session, while ALTER ROLE or ALTER DATABASE can establish a default for future sessions.

It changes representation, parsing, or locale behavior at the client boundary rather than physical storage. Coordinate it with the other locale and formatting settings and with driver-native binary or typed protocols.

Tuning advice

Tip

Advice. These are workload-specific starting points and must be validated with measurements.

Workload	Guidance
OLTP	Set default_text_search_config per language domain and application role, or pass the configuration explicitly in durable queries. Verify dictionaries and packages on every replica.
OLAP	Pin the configuration in reproducible indexing and reporting jobs so locale changes do not silently alter tokenization or ranking.
Small nodes	Use pg_catalog.simple or the initdb-selected locale configuration unless language-aware search is required; extra dictionaries add maintenance, not free quality.

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	—	—

Caution

Advice — pending human review. Fact from the current Pigsty template projection: OLTP: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; OLAP: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; CRIT: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; TINY: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified. No Pigsty-specific rationale is inferred from an absent override.

Common pitfalls

Changing default_text_search_config in one session and assuming role defaults, database defaults, or other pooled sessions changed with it.
Assuming a presentation setting changes stored values or server-side type semantics.
Changing a role or database default without testing text-parsing clients, exports, and pooled sessions.
Changing default_text_search_config globally without a rollback plan and a client or operational compatibility test.

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