# recovery_target

> recovery_target can be set to "immediate" to end recovery as soon as a consistent state is reached. It is a postmaster setting present in PG12–18; the latest recorded boot default is empty.
---

> [!NOTE]
> **Fact — official short description:** “Set to "immediate" to end recovery as soon as a consistent state is reached.”

## Identity {#identity}

| Field | Value | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Type | `string` | Upstream pg_settings type |
| Context | `postmaster` | Requires a server restart |
| Unit | — | Raw unit |
| Range | — | Raw limits in the last observed version |
| Enum values | — | — for non-enum types |
| Category | Write-Ahead Log / Recovery Target | 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}

Set to "immediate" to end recovery as soon as a consistent state is reached. The value is fixed when the server starts, so changing it requires a restart.

The only accepted value is immediate, which stops targeted recovery at the first consistent point—normally the end of an online base backup. It is mutually exclusive with the LSN, name, time, and XID target selectors.

At most one of recovery_target, recovery_target_lsn, recovery_target_name, recovery_target_time, and recovery_target_xid may be set; timeline, inclusive, and action are modifiers. Rehearse from the same base backup through a complete WAL chain—an unreachable target makes targeted recovery fail.

## Tuning advice {#tuning-advice}

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

| Workload | Guidance |
| --- | --- |
| OLTP | This is not a steady-state performance knob. Set recovery_target only on an isolated recovery instance after recording target evidence, base backup, timeline, and expected boundary; rehearse and require a second-person review. |
| OLAP | For a large restore, budget WAL replay and inspection time first. Validate the reached point read-only; do not let heavy analytical queries delay or contaminate the recovery decision. |
| Small nodes | Prefer a backup tool that generates a controlled recovery configuration. Never leave target settings in ordinary primary/standby templates, and clean up signal files and targets afterward. |
{.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}

- Setting immediate together with an LSN, name, time, or XID selector.
- Confusing the first consistent point after an online backup with the desired business recovery point.
- Leaving immediate in a normal standby configuration and ending recovery unexpectedly.
- Starting without recovery.signal and assuming the target will control crash recovery.
- Assuming success when the required WAL chain never reaches a consistent point.

## Related parameters {#related-parameters}

[`recovery_target_time`](/parameters/recovery-target-time/) · [`recovery_target_xid`](/parameters/recovery-target-xid/) · [`recovery_target_lsn`](/parameters/recovery-target-lsn/) · [`recovery_target_name`](/parameters/recovery-target-name/) · [`recovery_target_inclusive`](/parameters/recovery-target-inclusive/) · [`recovery_target_action`](/parameters/recovery-target-action/)

## References {#references}

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