man > RELEASE_SAVEPOINT(7)

RELEASE SAVEPOINT(7)               PostgreSQL 16.14 Documentation               RELEASE SAVEPOINT(7)

NAME
       RELEASE_SAVEPOINT - release a previously defined savepoint

SYNOPSIS
       RELEASE [ SAVEPOINT ] savepoint_name

DESCRIPTION
       RELEASE SAVEPOINT releases the named savepoint and all active savepoints that were created
       after the named savepoint, and frees their resources. All changes made since the creation of
       the savepoint that didn't already get rolled back are merged into the transaction or
       savepoint that was active when the named savepoint was created. Changes made after RELEASE
       SAVEPOINT will also be part of this active transaction or savepoint.

PARAMETERS
       savepoint_name
           The name of the savepoint to release.

NOTES
       Specifying a savepoint name that was not previously defined is an error.

       It is not possible to release a savepoint when the transaction is in an aborted state; to do
       that, use ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (ROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT(7)).

       If multiple savepoints have the same name, only the most recently defined unreleased one is
       released. Repeated commands will release progressively older savepoints.

EXAMPLES
       To establish and later release a savepoint:

           BEGIN;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);
               SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (4);
               RELEASE SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
           COMMIT;

       The above transaction will insert both 3 and 4.

       A more complex example with multiple nested subtransactions:

           BEGIN;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (1);
               SAVEPOINT sp1;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (2);
               SAVEPOINT sp2;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);
               RELEASE SAVEPOINT sp2;
               INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (4))); -- generates an error

       In this example, the application requests the release of the savepoint sp2, which inserted 3.
       This changes the insert's transaction context to sp1. When the statement attempting to insert
       value 4 generates an error, the insertion of 2 and 4 are lost because they are in the same,
       now-rolled back savepoint, and value 3 is in the same transaction context. The application
       can now only choose one of these two commands, since all other commands will be ignored:

              ROLLBACK;
              ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT sp1;

       Choosing ROLLBACK will abort everything, including value 1, whereas ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT sp1
       will retain value 1 and allow the transaction to continue.

COMPATIBILITY
       This command conforms to the SQL standard. The standard specifies that the key word SAVEPOINT
       is mandatory, but PostgreSQL allows it to be omitted.

SEE ALSO
       BEGIN(7), COMMIT(7), ROLLBACK(7), ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (ROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT(7)),
       SAVEPOINT(7)

PostgreSQL 16.14                                2026                            RELEASE SAVEPOINT(7)