Skip to main content
PHP Blog

Back to all posts

How to Drop an Index In PostgreSQL?

Published on
3 min read
How to Drop an Index In PostgreSQL? image

Best PostgreSQL Index Management Tools to Buy in November 2025

1 PostgreSQL: A Practical Guide for Developers and Data Professionals

PostgreSQL: A Practical Guide for Developers and Data Professionals

BUY & SAVE
$5.99
PostgreSQL: A Practical Guide for Developers and Data Professionals
2 Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL 8: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)

Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL 8: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)

  • AFFORDABLE PRICES: GREAT SAVINGS ON QUALITY USED BOOKS!
  • QUALITY ASSURED: EACH BOOK INSPECTED FOR GOOD CONDITION!
  • ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE: PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY WITH REUSED BOOKS!
BUY & SAVE
$35.25 $49.99
Save 29%
Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL 8: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)
3 Procedural Programming with PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL: Design Complex Database-Centric Applications with PL/pgSQL

Procedural Programming with PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL: Design Complex Database-Centric Applications with PL/pgSQL

BUY & SAVE
$46.40
Procedural Programming with PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL: Design Complex Database-Centric Applications with PL/pgSQL
4 Full-Stack Web Development with TypeScript 5: Craft modern full-stack projects with Bun, PostgreSQL, Svelte, TypeScript, and OpenAI

Full-Stack Web Development with TypeScript 5: Craft modern full-stack projects with Bun, PostgreSQL, Svelte, TypeScript, and OpenAI

BUY & SAVE
$36.26
Full-Stack Web Development with TypeScript 5: Craft modern full-stack projects with Bun, PostgreSQL, Svelte, TypeScript, and OpenAI
5 PostgreSQL for Python Web Development with Flask: A Practical Guide to Building Database-Driven Web Applications

PostgreSQL for Python Web Development with Flask: A Practical Guide to Building Database-Driven Web Applications

BUY & SAVE
$7.99
PostgreSQL for Python Web Development with Flask: A Practical Guide to Building Database-Driven Web Applications
6 Beginning PostgreSQL on the Cloud: Simplifying Database as a Service on Cloud Platforms

Beginning PostgreSQL on the Cloud: Simplifying Database as a Service on Cloud Platforms

BUY & SAVE
$42.17
Beginning PostgreSQL on the Cloud: Simplifying Database as a Service on Cloud Platforms
7 groword T-post Clips Tool 2025 New, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender

groword T-post Clips Tool 2025 New, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender

  • EFFORTLESS T-POST CLIP INSTALLATION: QUICKLY TWIST AND SECURE CLIPS!
  • DURABLE STEEL CONSTRUCTION: BUILT TO LAST IN TOUGH OUTDOOR CONDITIONS.
  • COMFORTABLE, SLIP-RESISTANT GRIP: REDUCES FATIGUE FOR ALL-DAY USE.
BUY & SAVE
$16.99
groword T-post Clips Tool 2025 New, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender
8 DEUOTION T-post Clips Tool, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender

DEUOTION T-post Clips Tool, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender

  • SPEED UP FENCE INSTALLATION WITH QUICK, EFFICIENT T-POST CLIPS SECURING.

  • EASY-TO-USE DESIGN PERFECT FOR BOTH PROS AND DIY ENTHUSIASTS.

  • DURABLE HIGH-QUALITY STEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR LONG-LASTING PERFORMANCE.

BUY & SAVE
$16.99
DEUOTION T-post Clips Tool, Fixing Fence Clip and Wire Steel Bender T-post Handheld Twisting Tool, Multi Functional Bender
+
ONE MORE?

To drop an index in PostgreSQL, you can use the DROP INDEX statement followed by the name of the index you want to remove. Make sure you have the necessary permissions to drop the index. You can also specify the schema of the index if it is not in the default schema. After executing the DROP INDEX statement, the index will be deleted from the database and any queries that were using it will no longer benefit from its performance enhancements. It is important to carefully consider the consequences of dropping an index before doing so.

How to drop composite index in PostgreSQL?

To drop a composite index in PostgreSQL, you can use the following syntax:

DROP INDEX index_name;

Replace index_name with the name of the composite index that you want to drop. You can obtain the name of the index by querying the pg_indexes system catalog. For example, if you want to drop a composite index named idx_name from a table named table_name, you can do the following:

DROP INDEX idx_name;

It is important to note that dropping an index in PostgreSQL is a potentially destructive operation, so make sure you really want to drop the index before executing the command.

What is the command for removing duplicate indexes in PostgreSQL?

The command for removing duplicate indexes in PostgreSQL is:

DROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_name;

Replace index_name with the name of the duplicate index that you want to remove.

What is the syntax for dropping multiple indexes in PostgreSQL?

To drop multiple indexes in PostgreSQL, you can use the following syntax:

DROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_name_1, index_name_2, ...;

This command will drop multiple indexes in a single statement. Make sure to replace index_name_1, index_name_2, etc. with the actual names of the indexes you want to drop.

How to drop index if it already exists in PostgreSQL?

To drop an index in PostgreSQL if it already exists, you can use the following SQL statement:

DROP INDEX IF EXISTS index_name;

Replace "index_name" with the name of the index you want to drop. The "IF EXISTS" clause ensures that the index is only dropped if it exists, preventing any errors if the index does not exist.

Make sure you have the necessary permissions to drop the index, as only users with the proper privileges can drop indexes in PostgreSQL.

What is the command for dropping a unique index in PostgreSQL?

To drop a unique index in PostgreSQL, you can use the following command:

DROP INDEX [CONCURRENTLY] <index_name>;

Replace <index_name> with the name of the unique index you want to drop. Additionally, you can use the CONCURRENTLY option to drop the index without blocking write operations.

How to drop indexes on multiple columns in PostgreSQL?

To drop indexes on multiple columns in PostgreSQL, you can use the following command:

DROP INDEX index_name;

Here, index_name is the name of the index you want to drop. If you have multiple indexes on different columns that you want to drop, you can simply run this command multiple times, specifying the name of each index.

Alternatively, you can drop all indexes on a specific table by using the following command:

DROP INDEX CONCURRENTLY [tableName];

This command will drop all indexes on the specified table. Please note that dropping indexes can significantly affect the performance of your queries, so be sure to consider the implications before doing so.