Answer
TOAST stores oversized values externally, compressing or splitting them to keep rows small and efficient.
Quick Answer
TOAST (The Oversized-Attribute Storage Technique) handles values larger than ~2KB. Large values are automatically compressed and/or stored in a separate TOAST table, with a pointer in the main row. Multiple storage strategies: PLAIN (no compression/toast), EXTENDED (compress first, then toast), EXTERNAL (toast without compression - fast retrieval), MAIN (compress, avoid toasting). Transparent to queries but affects performance for large columns.
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SugharaIQ Editorial Team
Verified Answer
This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.
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Source: SugharaIQ