Set up pgvector

Tracecat requires pgvector 0.8.0 or newer in the public schema of your application database, even when semantic search is disabled. The Temporal database does not need pgvector. There are two setup steps: install the extension files on the PostgreSQL server, then enable the extension in the application database. Tracecat’s migration performs the second step automatically if its database role has permission.

Install the server files

Your deployment	What you need to do
Bundled Docker Compose database	The Tracecat PostgreSQL image includes pgvector. Run `docker compose up` as usual.
Your own PostgreSQL server or custom image	Download and install pgvector on the database server using the instructions below. Match your PostgreSQL version, operating system, and CPU architecture.
Managed PostgreSQL, including Amazon RDS	Choose an engine version that supplies pgvector 0.8.0 or newer. Use your provider’s extension controls; you do not install operating-system packages yourself.

For your own server, follow the official pgvector instructions for your installation method:

For RDS, follow AWS’s PostgreSQL extension setup guidance. Check that your engine supports the required version and that rds.allowed_extensions permits vector, if you use an allowlist. When upgrading an existing database, keep a backup and preserve a compatible PostgreSQL and OS base. Adding pgvector should not silently replace the libraries that your existing indexes depend on.

Enable the extension

Connect to the Tracecat application database and check what the server provides:

SELECT name, default_version, installed_version
FROM pg_available_extensions
WHERE name = 'vector';

If the query returns no rows, install the server files or select a managed engine that supports pgvector. A null installed_version means the files are available but the extension is not enabled in this database. Tracecat’s migration runs:

CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS vector WITH SCHEMA public;

If your migration role cannot create extensions, have a database administrator run that command in the application database before retrying the migration. You can keep the application role’s existing permissions.

Resolve a migration error

Pgvector setup failures include a link to this page in the migration logs.

Error	What to do
Extension is not available, or `vector.control` is missing	Install pgvector on the PostgreSQL server using the matching instructions above.
Permission denied to create extension	Ask your database administrator to enable it in the application database.
Version is below 0.8.0	Follow the pgvector upgrade instructions, then retry.
Extension is outside `public`	Ask your database administrator to review and correct the extension schema before retrying.

After correcting the prerequisite, rerun your deployment’s migration step. The migration does not upgrade or relocate an existing extension, and downgrading Tracecat retains it.

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Install the server files

Enable the extension

Resolve a migration error

​Install the server files

​Enable the extension

​Resolve a migration error

Install the server files

Enable the extension

Resolve a migration error