Creating consistently fast, efficient queries and applications requires effort. Regardless of improvements to hardware, query planning, data storage, and all things AI, users generally only care about one metric; how fast queries respond. And although it may surprise you in 2024, improving problem queries still requires human intervention in many cases. Knowing where to begin and some of the first tools you can reach for is key when you’re called on to help.

In this session, we’ll open up the beginners toolbox and look at the primary settings, indexes, tools, features, and SQL tips to explore first. Starting with the basics of EXPLAIN plans, ad hoc settings to improve specific queries, indexes, partitioning, and a few SQL tips, you’ll walk away with a number of ideas to explore as you run up against unexpected issues in the day-to-day life of your PostgreSQL application.