Feature · /explain-plan
Explain Plan
Catch the moment a plan flips from index scan to seq scan — and know which deploy caused it.
In one line
Auto-captured EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS) plans on slow queries, plan diff over time, regression detection.
What you get
- Auto-EXPLAIN trigger on configurable thresholds (>500ms, >100k rows, etc.)
- Plan storage in S3-compatible blob with 90-day retention
- Visual plan tree with cost breakdown, actual vs estimated rows, buffer hit ratios
- Plan diff: side-by-side comparison of two plans for the same signature
- Regression detector: surfaces 'this plan got 3× slower yesterday' before it pages anyone
- Postgres, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server
vs Datadog DBM
FAQ
Does auto-EXPLAIN slow my database down?+
We sample — capture EXPLAIN for 1 in N executions of slow signatures, capped at 60 EXPLAIN calls per minute per host. Tunable per integration.
Can I disable it for sensitive queries?+
Yes. Tag signatures or schemas as 'no_explain' in the agent config and they're skipped.
Related reading
Postgres
Postgres slow queries: 12 causes and how to find each one
A field-tested playbook for diagnosing a slow Postgres query in production — from missing indexes to plan flips to bloated tables — with the SQL to find each cause and the fix.
Postgres
pg_stat_statements: the complete 2026 guide
Every column, every gotcha, the queries you should run today, and why pg_stat_statements is still the most useful 80 lines of telemetry in Postgres — even with five new alternatives in 2026.
· · ·
Watch your databases the way you watch your services.
Book a 30-minute demo. We'll spec your fleet together and quote your first 30-day deal.