Extension Overview

Extension Overview

postgres-mcp supports 8 PostgreSQL extensions, providing 79 specialized tools for advanced database operations.

Note: Extension tool counts include create_extension helpers but exclude Code Mode; the Tool Groups table adds +1 per group for Code Mode.

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Supported Extensions

Extension	Tools	Purpose	Documentation
pgvector	16	AI/ML vector similarity search	Vector & AI Extensions
pgcrypto	9	Encryption, hashing, UUIDs	Vector & AI Extensions
PostGIS	15	Geospatial operations	Spatial & Hierarchy Extensions
ltree	8	Hierarchical tree data	Spatial & Hierarchy Extensions
pg_cron	8	Job scheduling	Scheduling & Partitioning Extensions
pg_partman	10	Automated partition management	Scheduling & Partitioning Extensions
pg_stat_kcache	7	OS-level CPU/memory/IO stats	Scheduling & Partitioning Extensions
citext	6	Case-insensitive text	Scheduling & Partitioning Extensions

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Extension Detection

postgres-mcp automatically detects installed extensions. Tools for missing extensions will:

1. Return structured errors — {success: false, error: "...", suggestion: "..."} with clear context
2. Suggest installation — Actionable guidance on how to install the extension
3. Never throw exceptions — Graceful degradation; agents always receive a parseable response

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Quick Reference by Use Case

AI/ML Workloads

Use the ai-vector preset or ext-ai extension bundle:

--tool-filter ai-vector    # 50 tools: Core + pgvector + transactions
--tool-filter ext-ai       # 26 tools: pgvector + pgcrypto only

Geospatial Applications

Use the geo preset or ext-geo extension bundle:

--tool-filter geo          # 43 tools: Core + PostGIS + transactions
--tool-filter ext-geo      # 24 tools: PostGIS + ltree only

Scheduled Jobs & Partitioning

Use the ext-schedule extension bundle:

--tool-filter ext-schedule # 19 tools: pg_cron + pg_partman

Performance Monitoring

Use the ext-perf extension bundle:

--tool-filter ext-perf     # 32 tools: pg_stat_kcache + performance

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Installing Extensions

Most extensions require superuser privileges:

-- AI/ML
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS vector;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;

-- Geospatial
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS ltree;

-- Scheduling
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_cron;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_partman;

-- Performance
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_stat_kcache;
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pg_stat_statements;

-- Text
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS citext;

Note: Some extensions (pg_cron, pg_stat_kcache) require shared_preload_libraries configuration and a server restart.

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Related Resources

Each extension has an associated MCP Resource for real-time status:

Resource URI	Description
postgres://vector	pgvector columns, indexes, recommendations
postgres://postgis	PostGIS spatial columns, index status
postgres://cron	pg_cron job status, execution history
postgres://partman	pg_partman partition configuration, health
postgres://kcache	pg_stat_kcache CPU/IO metrics summary
postgres://crypto	pgcrypto availability, security recommendations

See Resources-and-Prompts for the complete resource list.

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Extension Documentation

• Vector-and-AI-Extensions - pgvector + pgcrypto
• Spatial-and-Hierarchy-Extensions - PostGIS + ltree
• Scheduling-and-Partitioning-Extensions - pg_cron, pg_partman, pg_stat_kcache, citext