When working with PostgreSQL's psql interactive terminal, you might notice that command outputs (like \d table_name or query results) get piped through a pager when they exceed your terminal height. This behavior is controlled by the PAGER environment variable and psql's internal settings.

The simplest way to disable paging completely is to run:

\pset pager off

Or start psql with:

psql --pset=pager=off

To make this change permanent, add to your ~/.psqlrc file:

\pset pager off

Alternatively, you can control this through environment variables:

export PAGER=
psql

Or more specifically:

export PSQL_PAGER="cat"
psql

The pager functionality was introduced to improve readability of large outputs. When active:

• Outputs longer than your terminal height get paginated
• Press q to quit the pager (but this clears output in some terminals)
• Navigation follows your configured pager's commands (usually less-style)

If you want to keep paging for some commands but not others:

\pset pager on
\o | less
SELECT * FROM large_table;
\o

Or use conditional paging based on output size:

\pset pager always
\pset footer off

For PuTTY users experiencing the disappearing output issue, try:

\pset pager off
\setenv PAGER ''

This ensures output remains visible after quitting commands.

The pager behavior changed significantly between PostgreSQL 8.3 and 9.0. In newer versions (9.0+):

• Pager is enabled by default when output exceeds terminal height
• The PSQL_PAGER environment variable takes precedence over PAGER
• Pager behavior can be controlled per-command using \pset

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When working with PostgreSQL's command-line interface psql, you might notice that output longer than your terminal height gets piped through a pager (similar to less). This behavior was introduced as a default in PostgreSQL 9.0+.

Several scenarios make pager behavior undesirable:

• Using terminal emulators like PuTTY that already handle scrollback (Shift+PgUp/PgDn)
• When you want to keep output visible after inspection (pager clears screen when exiting)
• During scripting or automation where paging breaks workflow

Here are three ways to disable the pager:

1. Temporary Disable for Current Session

\pset pager off

2. Permanent Disable via .psqlrc

Add this line to your ~/.psqlrc file:

\setenv PAGER ''

3. Environment Variable Approach

Set this before launching psql:

export PAGER=
psql -U username -d database

If you want to keep paging but change the behavior:

\setenv PAGER 'less -SXF'

This makes less:

• -S: Chop long lines instead of wrapping
• -X: Don't clear screen on exit
• -F: Exit immediately if content fits one screen

After making changes, verify with:

\d+ pg_class

This normally produces paged output - it should now display directly in the terminal if pager is properly disabled.

Note that some psql commands like \help might still use internal paging. For these, you'll need to use:

\pset pager off