'\" t
.\"     Title: RELEASE SAVEPOINT
.\"    Author: The PostgreSQL Global Development Group
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets vsnapshot <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 2026
.\"    Manual: PostgreSQL 17.10 Documentation
.\"    Source: PostgreSQL 17.10
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "RELEASE SAVEPOINT" "7" "2026" "PostgreSQL 17.10" "PostgreSQL 17.10 Documentation"
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.SH "NAME"
RELEASE_SAVEPOINT \- release a previously defined savepoint
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.sp
.nf
RELEASE [ SAVEPOINT ] \fIsavepoint_name\fR
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
\fBRELEASE SAVEPOINT\fR
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\*(Aqt already get rolled back are merged into the transaction or savepoint that was active when the named savepoint was created\&. Changes made after
\fBRELEASE SAVEPOINT\fR
will also be part of this active transaction or savepoint\&.
.SH "PARAMETERS"
.PP
\fIsavepoint_name\fR
.RS 4
The name of the savepoint to release\&.
.RE
.SH "NOTES"
.PP
Specifying a savepoint name that was not previously defined is an error\&.
.PP
It is not possible to release a savepoint when the transaction is in an aborted state; to do that, use
ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (\fBROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT\fR(7))\&.
.PP
If multiple savepoints have the same name, only the most recently defined unreleased one is released\&. Repeated commands will release progressively older savepoints\&.
.SH "EXAMPLES"
.PP
To establish and later release a savepoint:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
BEGIN;
    INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (3);
    SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
    INSERT INTO table1 VALUES (4);
    RELEASE SAVEPOINT my_savepoint;
COMMIT;
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.sp
The above transaction will insert both 3 and 4\&.
.PP
A more complex example with multiple nested subtransactions:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
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
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.sp
In this example, the application requests the release of the savepoint
sp2, which inserted 3\&. This changes the insert\*(Aqs 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:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
ROLLBACK;
ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT sp1;
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.sp
Choosing
\fBROLLBACK\fR
will abort everything, including value 1, whereas
\fBROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT sp1\fR
will retain value 1 and allow the transaction to continue\&.
.SH "COMPATIBILITY"
.PP
This command conforms to the
SQL
standard\&. The standard specifies that the key word
SAVEPOINT
is mandatory, but
PostgreSQL
allows it to be omitted\&.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
\fBBEGIN\fR(7), \fBCOMMIT\fR(7), \fBROLLBACK\fR(7), ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT (\fBROLLBACK_TO_SAVEPOINT\fR(7)), \fBSAVEPOINT\fR(7)