---
title: "CREATE PUBLICATION"
id: sql-createpublication
pg_version: "20devel"
---

<a id="sql-createpublication"></a>

# CREATE PUBLICATION — define a new publication

## Synopsis

```
CREATE PUBLICATION name
    [ FOR { publication_object [, ... ] | publication_all_object [, ... ] } ]
    [ WITH ( publication_parameter [= value] [, ... ] ) ]

where publication_object is one of:

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

and publication_all_object is one of:

    ALL TABLES [ EXCEPT ( except_table_object [, ... ] ) ]
    ALL SEQUENCES

and table_and_columns is:

    table_object [ ( column_name [, ... ] ) ] [ WHERE ( expression ) ]

and except_table_object is:

    TABLE table_object [, ... ]

and table_object is:

   [ ONLY ] table_name [ * ]
```

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.5"></a>

## Description

`CREATE PUBLICATION` adds a new publication into the current database. The publication name must be distinct from the name of any existing publication in the current database. 

A publication is essentially a group of tables whose data changes are intended to be replicated through logical replication. See [Section 29.1](logical-replication-publication.md) for details about how publications fit into the logical replication setup. 

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.6"></a>

## Parameters

<a id="sql-createpublication-params-name"></a>

**`name`**

 The name of the new publication. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-for-table"></a>

**`FOR TABLE`**

 Specifies a list of tables to add to the publication. If `ONLY` is specified before the table name, only that table is added to the publication. If `ONLY` is not specified, the table and all its descendant tables (if any) are added. Optionally, `*` can be specified after the table name to explicitly indicate that descendant tables are included. This does not apply to a partitioned table, however. The partitions of a partitioned table are always implicitly considered part of the publication, so they are never explicitly added to the publication.  If the optional `WHERE` clause is specified, it defines a *row filter* expression. Rows for which the `expression` evaluates to false or null will not be published. Note that parentheses are required around the expression. It has no effect on `TRUNCATE` commands.  When a column list is specified, only the named columns are replicated. The column list can contain stored generated columns as well. If the column list is omitted, the publication will replicate all non-generated columns (including any added in the future) by default. Stored generated columns can also be replicated if `publish_generated_columns` is set to `stored`. Specifying a column list has no effect on `TRUNCATE` commands. See [Section 29.5](logical-replication-col-lists.md) for details about column lists.  Only persistent base tables and partitioned tables can be part of a publication. Temporary tables, unlogged tables, foreign tables, materialized views, and regular views cannot be part of a publication.  Specifying a column list when the publication also publishes `FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA` is not supported.  When a partitioned table is added to a publication, all of its existing and future partitions are implicitly considered to be part of the publication. So, even operations that are performed directly on a partition are also published via publications that its ancestors are part of. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-for-tables-in-schema"></a>

**`FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA`**

 Marks the publication as one that replicates changes for all tables in the specified list of schemas, including tables created in the future.  Specifying a schema when the publication also publishes a table with a column list is not supported.  Only persistent base tables and partitioned tables present in the schema will be included as part of the publication. Temporary tables, unlogged tables, foreign tables, materialized views, and regular views from the schema will not be part of the publication.  When a partitioned table is published via a schema-level publication, all of its existing and future partitions are implicitly considered to be part of the publication, regardless of whether they are from the publication schema or not. So, even operations that are performed directly on a partition are also published via publications that its ancestors are part of. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-for-all-tables"></a>

**`FOR ALL TABLES`**

 Marks the publication as one that replicates changes for all tables in the database, including tables created in the future. Tables listed in `EXCEPT` clause are excluded from the publication. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-for-all-sequences"></a>

**`FOR ALL SEQUENCES`**

 Marks the publication as one that synchronizes changes for all sequences in the database, including sequences created in the future.  Only persistent sequences are included in the publication. Temporary sequences and unlogged sequences are excluded from the publication. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-for-except-table"></a>

**`EXCEPT`**

 This clause specifies a list of tables to be excluded from the publication.  Once a table is excluded, the exclusion applies to that table regardless of its name or schema. Renaming the table or moving it to another schema using `ALTER TABLE ... SET SCHEMA` does not remove the exclusion.  For inherited tables, if `ONLY` is specified before the table name, only that table is excluded from the publication. If `ONLY` is not specified, the table and all its descendant tables (if any) are excluded. Optionally, `*` can be specified after the table name to explicitly indicate that descendant tables are excluded.  For partitioned tables, only the root partitioned table may be specified in `EXCEPT`. Doing so excludes the root table and all of its partitions from replication. The optional `ONLY` and `*` has no effect for partitioned tables.  There can be a case where a subscription includes multiple publications. In such a case, a table or partition that is included in one publication but excluded (explicitly or implicitly) by the `EXCEPT` clause of another is considered included for replication. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-with"></a>

**`WITH ( publication_parameter [= value] [, ... ] )`**

 This clause specifies optional parameters for a publication when publishing tables. This clause is not applicable to sequences. The following parameters are supported: <a id="sql-createpublication-params-with-publish"></a>

**`publish` (`string`)**

 This parameter determines which DML operations will be published by the new publication to the subscribers. The value is a comma-separated list of operations. The allowed operations are `insert`, `update`, `delete`, and `truncate`. The default is to publish all actions, and so the default value for this option is `'insert, update, delete, truncate'`.  This parameter only affects DML operations. In particular, the initial data synchronization (see [Section 29.10.1](logical-replication-architecture.md#logical-replication-snapshot)) for logical replication does not take this parameter into account when copying existing table data. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-with-publish-generated-columns"></a>

**`publish_generated_columns` (`enum`)**

 Specifies whether the generated columns present in the tables associated with the publication should be replicated. Possible values are `none` and `stored`.  The default is `none` meaning the generated columns present in the tables associated with publication will not be replicated.  If set to `stored`, the stored generated columns present in the tables associated with publication will be replicated. 
> [!NOTE]
> If the subscriber is from a release prior to 18, then initial table synchronization won't copy generated columns even if the parameter `publish_generated_columns` is `stored` in the publisher.

 See [Section 29.6](logical-replication-gencols.md) for more details about logical replication of generated columns. <a id="sql-createpublication-params-with-publish-via-partition-root"></a>

**`publish_via_partition_root` (`boolean`)**

 This parameter controls how changes to a partitioned table (or any of its partitions) are published. When set to `true`, changes are published using the identity and schema of the root partitioned table. When set to `false` (the default), changes are published using the identity and schema of the individual partitions where the changes actually occurred. Enabling this option allows the changes to be replicated into a non-partitioned table or into a partitioned table whose partition structure differs from that of the publisher.  There can be a case where a subscription combines multiple publications. If a partitioned table is published by any subscribed publications which set `publish_via_partition_root = true`, changes on this partitioned table (or on its partitions) will be published using the identity and schema of this partitioned table rather than that of the individual partitions.  This parameter also affects how row filters and column lists are chosen for partitions; see below for details.  If this is enabled, `TRUNCATE` operations performed directly on partitions are not replicated. When specifying a parameter of type `boolean`, the `=` `value` part can be omitted, which is equivalent to specifying `TRUE`. 

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.7"></a>

## Notes

If `FOR TABLE`, `FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA`, `FOR ALL TABLES` or `FOR ALL SEQUENCES` are not specified, then the publication starts out with an empty set of tables. That is useful if tables or schemas are to be added later. 

The creation of a publication does not start replication. It only defines a grouping and filtering logic for future subscribers. 

To create a publication, the invoking user must have the `CREATE` privilege for the current database. (Of course, superusers bypass this check.) 

To add a table to a publication, the invoking user must have ownership rights on the table. The `FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA`, `FOR ALL TABLES` and `FOR ALL SEQUENCES` clauses require the invoking user to be a superuser. 

The tables added to a publication that publishes `UPDATE` and/or `DELETE` operations must have `REPLICA IDENTITY` defined. Otherwise those operations will be disallowed on those tables. 

Any column list must include the `REPLICA IDENTITY` columns in order for `UPDATE` or `DELETE` operations to be published. There are no column list restrictions if the publication publishes only `INSERT` operations. 

A row filter expression (i.e., the `WHERE` clause) must contain only columns that are covered by the `REPLICA IDENTITY`, in order for `UPDATE` and `DELETE` operations to be published. For publication of `INSERT` operations, any column may be used in the `WHERE` expression. The row filter allows simple expressions that don't have user-defined functions, user-defined operators, user-defined types, user-defined collations, non-immutable built-in functions, or references to system columns. 

The generated columns that are part of `REPLICA IDENTITY` must be published explicitly either by listing them in the column list or by enabling the `publish_generated_columns` option, in order for `UPDATE` and `DELETE` operations to be published. 

The row filter on a table becomes redundant if `FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA` is specified and the table belongs to the referred schema. 

For published partitioned tables, the row filter for each partition is taken from the published partitioned table if the publication parameter `publish_via_partition_root` is true, or from the partition itself if it is false (the default). See [Section 29.4](logical-replication-row-filter.md) for details about row filters. Similarly, for published partitioned tables, the column list for each partition is taken from the published partitioned table if the publication parameter `publish_via_partition_root` is true, or from the partition itself if it is false. 

For an `INSERT ... ON CONFLICT` command, the publication will publish the operation that results from the command. Depending on the outcome, it may be published as either `INSERT` or `UPDATE`, or it may not be published at all. 

For a `MERGE` command, the publication will publish an `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, or `DELETE` for each row inserted, updated, or deleted. 

For an `UPDATE/DELETE ... FOR PORTION OF` command, the publication will publish an `UPDATE` or `DELETE`, followed by one `INSERT` for each temporal leftover row inserted. 

`ATTACH`ing a table into a partition tree whose root is published using a publication with `publish_via_partition_root` set to `true` does not result in the table's existing contents being replicated. 

`COPY ... FROM` commands are published as `INSERT` operations. 

DDL operations are not published. 

The `WHERE` clause expression is executed with the role used for the replication connection. 

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.8"></a>

## Examples

Create a publication that publishes all changes in two tables: 
CREATE PUBLICATION mypublication FOR TABLE users, departments;
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes from active departments: 
CREATE PUBLICATION active_departments FOR TABLE departments WHERE (active IS TRUE);
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes in all tables: 
CREATE PUBLICATION alltables FOR ALL TABLES;
 

Create a publication that only publishes `INSERT` operations in one table: 
CREATE PUBLICATION insert_only FOR TABLE mydata
    WITH (publish = 'insert');
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes for tables users, departments and all changes for all the tables present in the schema production: 
CREATE PUBLICATION production_publication FOR TABLE users, departments, TABLES IN SCHEMA production;
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes for all the tables present in the schemas marketing and sales: 
CREATE PUBLICATION sales_publication FOR TABLES IN SCHEMA marketing, sales;


Create a publication that publishes all changes for table users, but replicates only columns user_id and firstname: 
CREATE PUBLICATION users_filtered FOR TABLE users (user_id, firstname);


Create a publication that publishes all sequences for synchronization: 
CREATE PUBLICATION all_sequences FOR ALL SEQUENCES;
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes in all tables, and all sequences for synchronization: 
CREATE PUBLICATION all_tables_sequences FOR ALL TABLES, ALL SEQUENCES;
 

Create a publication that publishes all changes in all tables except users and departments: 
CREATE PUBLICATION all_tables_except FOR ALL TABLES EXCEPT (TABLE users, departments);
 

Create a publication that publishes all sequences for synchronization, and all changes in all tables except users and departments: 
CREATE PUBLICATION all_sequences_tables_except FOR ALL SEQUENCES, ALL TABLES EXCEPT (TABLE users, departments);
 

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.9"></a>

## Compatibility

`CREATE PUBLICATION` is a PostgreSQL extension. 

<a id="id-1.9.3.79.10"></a>

## See Also

[ALTER PUBLICATION](sql-alterpublication.md), [DROP PUBLICATION](sql-droppublication.md), [CREATE SUBSCRIPTION](sql-createsubscription.md), [ALTER SUBSCRIPTION](sql-altersubscription.md)