man > ALTER_PUBLICATION(7)

ALTER PUBLICATION(7)               PostgreSQL 16.14 Documentation               ALTER PUBLICATION(7)

NAME
       ALTER_PUBLICATION - change the definition of a publication

SYNOPSIS
       ALTER PUBLICATION name ADD publication_object [, ...]
       ALTER PUBLICATION name SET publication_object [, ...]
       ALTER PUBLICATION name DROP publication_drop_object [, ...]
       ALTER PUBLICATION name SET ( publication_parameter [= value] [, ... ] )
       ALTER PUBLICATION name OWNER TO { new_owner | CURRENT_ROLE | CURRENT_USER | SESSION_USER }
       ALTER PUBLICATION name RENAME TO new_name

       where publication_object is one of:

           TABLE table_and_columns [, ... ]
           TABLES IN SCHEMA { schema_name | CURRENT_SCHEMA } [, ... ]

       and publication_drop_object is one of:

           TABLE [ ONLY ] table_name [ * ] [, ... ]
           TABLES IN SCHEMA { schema_name | CURRENT_SCHEMA } [, ... ]

       and table_and_columns is:

           [ ONLY ] table_name [ * ] [ ( column_name [, ... ] ) ] [ WHERE ( expression ) ]

DESCRIPTION
       The command ALTER PUBLICATION can change the attributes of a publication.

       The first three variants change which tables/schemas are part of the publication. The SET
       clause will replace the list of tables/schemas in the publication with the specified list;
       the existing tables/schemas that were present in the publication will be removed. The ADD and
       DROP clauses will add and remove one or more tables/schemas from the publication. Note that
       adding tables/schemas to a publication that is already subscribed to will require an ALTER
       SUBSCRIPTION ... REFRESH PUBLICATION action on the subscribing side in order to become
       effective. Note also that DROP TABLES IN SCHEMA will not drop any schema tables that were
       specified using FOR TABLE/ ADD TABLE.

       The fourth variant of this command listed in the synopsis can change all of the publication
       properties specified in CREATE PUBLICATION (CREATE_PUBLICATION(7)). Properties not mentioned
       in the command retain their previous settings.

       The remaining variants change the owner and the name of the publication.

       You must own the publication to use ALTER PUBLICATION. Adding a table to a publication
       additionally requires owning that table. The ADD TABLES IN SCHEMA and SET TABLES IN SCHEMA to
       a publication requires the invoking user to be a superuser. To alter the owner, you must be
       able to SET ROLE to the new owning role, and that role must have CREATE privilege on the
       database. Also, the new owner of a FOR ALL TABLES or FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA publication must be
       a superuser. However, a superuser can change the ownership of a publication regardless of
       these restrictions.

       Adding/Setting any schema when the publication also publishes a table with a column list, and
       vice versa is not supported.

PARAMETERS
       name
           The name of an existing publication whose definition is to be altered.

       table_name
           Name of an existing table. If ONLY is specified before the table name, only that table is
           affected. If ONLY is not specified, the table and all its descendant tables (if any) are
           affected. Optionally, * can be specified after the table name to explicitly indicate that
           descendant tables are included.

           Optionally, a column list can be specified. See CREATE PUBLICATION
           (CREATE_PUBLICATION(7)) for details. Note that a subscription having several publications
           in which the same table has been published with different column lists is not supported.
           See Warning: Combining Column Lists from Multiple Publications for details of potential
           problems when altering column lists.

           If the optional WHERE clause is specified, rows for which the expression evaluates to
           false or null will not be published. Note that parentheses are required around the
           expression. The expression is evaluated with the role used for the replication
           connection.

       schema_name
           Name of an existing schema.

       SET ( publication_parameter [= value] [, ... ] )
           This clause alters publication parameters originally set by CREATE PUBLICATION
           (CREATE_PUBLICATION(7)). See there for more information.

       new_owner
           The user name of the new owner of the publication.

       new_name
           The new name for the publication.

EXAMPLES
       Change the publication to publish only deletes and updates:

           ALTER PUBLICATION noinsert SET (publish = 'update, delete');

       Add some tables to the publication:

           ALTER PUBLICATION mypublication ADD TABLE users (user_id, firstname), departments;

       Change the set of columns published for a table:

           ALTER PUBLICATION mypublication SET TABLE users (user_id, firstname, lastname), TABLE departments;

       Add schemas marketing and sales to the publication sales_publication:

           ALTER PUBLICATION sales_publication ADD TABLES IN SCHEMA marketing, sales;

       Add tables users, departments and schema production to the publication
       production_publication:

           ALTER PUBLICATION production_publication ADD TABLE users, departments, TABLES IN SCHEMA production;

COMPATIBILITY
       ALTER PUBLICATION is a PostgreSQL extension.

SEE ALSO
       CREATE PUBLICATION (CREATE_PUBLICATION(7)), DROP PUBLICATION (DROP_PUBLICATION(7)), CREATE
       SUBSCRIPTION (CREATE_SUBSCRIPTION(7)), ALTER SUBSCRIPTION (ALTER_SUBSCRIPTION(7))

PostgreSQL 16.14                                2026                            ALTER PUBLICATION(7)