Common Supabase Fixes

Our curated set of the best, practical guides to address issues identified in our Supabase Report Cards, typically RLS, indexing, query performance, logging/monitoring, and data lifecycle (archiving/partitioning).

A curated set of practical guides for issues our Report Cards typically flag: RLS, indexing, query performance, logging/monitoring, and data lifecycle. Supabase-first where possible; Postgres references where needed. Inline links and numbered references included.

Row Level Security (RLS)

• Supabase RLS fundamentals and policy patterns (enable RLS, auth roles, policies, helpers). [1]
• RLS overview and when to use it in Supabase. [2]
• RLS performance tips for Supabase: index policy columns; wrap functions with SELECT for plan caching. [3]

Indexing (coverage, missing FKs, partial indexes)

• Managing indexes in Supabase (create, drop, inspect). [4]
• Postgres index types and patterns (B-tree, GIN/BRIN, multicolumn, partial, index-only scans, ORDER BY). [5]

Query Performance (EXPLAIN, plan reading, hotspots)

• Supabase query optimization guide (use EXPLAIN/ANALYZE, common pitfalls). [6]
• Supabase debugging performance issues (step-by-step). [7]
• Postgres EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE references. [8][9]
• pg_stat_statements (track top time consumers, mean latency, calls). [10]

Logging and Monitoring (slow queries, autovacuum, errors)

• Supabase debugging and monitoring overview. [11]
• Postgres logging configuration (slow query logging, sampling, autovacuum logs, JSON/CSV, rotation). [12]

Data Lifecycle: Archiving, Partitioning, Table Growth

• Supabase partitioning tables (Range/List/Hash, pruning, when to use). [13]
• Partitioning vs. sharding (when to combine approaches). [14]
• Automating partition maintenance (pg_partman patterns; pre-create/rotate/drop). [15]

How to apply these to Report Card findings

RLS Coverage

Enable RLS on exposed schemas; add minimal SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE policies using auth.uid(); index policy columns; wrap functions with SELECT for plan caching. [1][3]

Proper Indexing

Start with foreign keys and frequent JOIN/WHERE columns; consider partial indexes (e.g., WHERE deleted_at IS NULL); confirm with EXPLAIN and index-usage views. [4][5][8][9]

Query Performance

Use pg_stat_statements to identify queries by total time and average latency; read plans with EXPLAIN ANALYZE + BUFFERS; iterate and reset stats to measure impact. [6][7][8][9][10]

Error-Free Logs

Enable JSON/CSV logs; set log_min_duration_statement or a sampled threshold; log autovacuum actions for visibility. [11][12]

Storage/Archiving

Range-partition time-based tables; schedule partition creation and drops; keep hot partitions on fast storage, cold on cheaper tiers. [13][14][15]

References

1. Supabase Docs — Row Level Security (policies, auth roles, helpers) — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/postgres/row-level-security
2. Supabase Features — Authorization via Row Level Security — https://supabase.com/features/row-level-security
3. RLS performance tips for Supabase (index policy columns; wrap functions with SELECT) — https://medium.com/@antstack/optimizing-rls-performance-with-supabase-postgres-fa4e2b6e196d
4. Supabase Docs — Managing indexes — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/managing-indexes
5. PostgreSQL Docs — Index types and patterns — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/indexes.html
6. Supabase Docs — Query optimization — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/query-optimization
7. Supabase Docs — Debugging performance issues — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/debugging-performance-issues
8. PostgreSQL Docs — EXPLAIN command reference — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-explain.html
9. PostgreSQL Docs — Using EXPLAIN — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/using-explain.html
10. PostgreSQL Docs — pg_stat_statements — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/pgstatstatements.html
11. Supabase Docs — Debugging and monitoring — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/debugging-and-monitoring
12. PostgreSQL Docs — Error reporting and logging — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/runtime-config-logging.html
13. Supabase Docs — Partitioning tables — https://supabase.com/docs/guides/database/partitioning-tables
14. Citus — Partitioning vs. sharding in Postgres — https://www.citusdata.com/blog/2023/08/04/understanding-partitioning-and-sharding-in-postgres-and-citus/
15. AWS RDS — Managing partitions with pg_partman (general patterns apply) — https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/PostgreSQL_Partitions.html