Remove

Uninstall PostgreSQL extensions

Extension removal has two levels: drop extension objects from the database, and uninstall packages from the operating system.

Drop Extension Objects

Use DROP EXTENSION to remove extensions from the database:

-- Drop extension
DROP EXTENSION pgvector;

-- If there are dependent objects, cascade delete is required
DROP EXTENSION pgvector CASCADE;

Warning: CASCADE will drop all objects that depend on this extension (tables, functions, views, etc.). Use with caution.

Check Extension Dependencies

We recommend that you check dependencies before you drop an extension:

-- View objects that depend on an extension
SELECT
    classid::regclass,
    objid,
    deptype
FROM pg_depend
WHERE refobjid = (SELECT oid FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'pgvector');

-- View tables using extension types
SELECT
    c.relname AS table_name,
    a.attname AS column_name,
    t.typname AS type_name
FROM pg_attribute a
JOIN pg_class c ON a.attrelid = c.oid
JOIN pg_type t ON a.atttypid = t.oid
WHERE t.typname = 'vector';

Remove Preload

If the extension is in shared_preload_libraries, remove it from the preload list after you drop it:

# Modify shared_preload_libraries, remove extension
pg edit-config pg-meta --force -p shared_preload_libraries='pg_stat_statements, auto_explain'

# Restart to apply configuration
pg restart pg-meta

Uninstall Packages

After dropping the extension from the database, you can optionally uninstall the package:

# EL systems
sudo yum remove pgvector_18*

# Debian/Ubuntu systems
sudo apt remove postgresql-18-pgvector

# Using pig package manager
pig remove pgvector

You can usually keep the package without problems. Uninstall it only to free disk space or resolve conflicts.

Important Notes

Data loss risk: CASCADE drops dependent objects. This can cause data loss.
Application compatibility: Before you drop the extension, make sure that applications no longer use its features.
Preload order: If you drop a preloaded extension, also remove it from shared_preload_libraries. Otherwise, the database may fail to start.
Replication environments: In replication environments, DROP EXTENSION automatically replicates to replicas.

Operation Sequence

Use this sequence to remove an extension completely:

# 1. Check dependencies
psql -d mydb -c "SELECT * FROM pg_depend WHERE refobjid = (SELECT oid FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'pgvector');"

# 2. Drop extension from database
psql -d mydb -c "DROP EXTENSION pgvector;"

# 3. If it's a preloaded extension, remove from shared_preload_libraries
pg edit-config pg-meta --force -p shared_preload_libraries='pg_stat_statements, auto_explain'

# 4. Restart database (if preload configuration was modified)
pg restart pg-meta

# 5. Optional: Uninstall package
sudo yum remove pgvector_18*