update_process_title

update_process_title is the PostgreSQL setting that controls whether PostgreSQL updates the process title to show the active SQL command.

Note

Fact — official short description: “Updates the process title to show the active SQL command.”

Identity

Type , Valuebool: Upstream pg_settings type
Context , Valuesuperuser: Settable at runtime by a superuser
Unit , Value—: Raw unit
Range , Value—: Raw limits in the last observed version
Enum values , Value—: — for non-enum types
Category , ValueReporting and Logging / Process Title: Upstream classification
Latest boot value , Valueon: on

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	`on`	—	on

How it works

update_process_title updates the process title to show the active SQL command. Enables updating of the process title every time a new SQL command is received by the server. When supported by the operating system, PostgreSQL rewrites each backend’s process title as commands change, making current activity visible to tools such as ps.

update_process_title is a SUPERUSER-context setting. Superuser or a role granted the appropriate SET privilege can change it for a session, while ALTER ROLE or ALTER DATABASE can establish a default for future sessions.

Process titles complement application_name, cluster_name, pg_stat_activity, and log_line_prefix, allowing operating-system observations to be joined with database activity.

Tuning advice

Tip

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

Workload	Guidance
OLTP	Keep update_process_title enabled or populated for operator clarity unless profiling proves material overhead. Use stable, non-secret labels that match monitoring inventory.
OLAP	Preserve update_process_title so long jobs can be attributed from operating-system and PostgreSQL views; use application_name for finer job identity.
Small nodes	Do not tune update_process_title for capacity. Its observability value normally outweighs negligible overhead, but avoid high-cardinality or sensitive labels.

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 update_process_title in one session and assuming role defaults, database defaults, or other pooled sessions changed with it.
Putting secrets or unbounded high-cardinality data into operator-visible process labels.
Using inconsistent cluster, application, and process labels that cannot be joined across monitoring systems.
Changing update_process_title globally without a rollback plan and a client or operational compatibility test.

application_name · cluster_name · log_line_prefix · log_timezone · log_hostname