pg_hint_plan - get the right plan without surprises

The PostgreSQL community has never accepted the idea of query planner hints. PG_HINT_PLAN is an extension that helps to understand query planner choices. The goal of this session is not to encourage the use of hints in all queries, but to use them as a tool to gain insight into how the query planner selects the best path to your data.

To put it in perspective, think of it like Google Maps. Would you always trust the default route without setting your preferences, like route options or travel mode? Similarly, the query planner tries to find the best path to access your data, and hints can help optimize its choices.

However, despite its usefulness, the extension is not widely used due to some common pitfalls that give the impression that it doesn't work. This presentation will cover these pitfalls so that you can effectively use pg_hint_plan.