Dev.to
7/24/2026

B-tree block split: what's the impact?
Short summary
A deep technical exploration of PostgreSQL B-tree index page splits using pageinspect and pgstattuple extensions. The author inserts rows one at a time and correlates page splits with WAL generation and buffer accesses, examining internal metadata like root block numbers, tree levels, and leaf fragmentation. The article provides practical SQL examples for inspecting index page structures and understanding bloat.
- •Examines PostgreSQL B-tree page splits using pageinspect and pgstattuple
- •Correlates page splits with WAL generation and buffer activity
- •Provides SQL examples for inspecting index internals and diagnosing bloat
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