# Determining which tables are currently eligible for autovacuum
<a name="Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.Autovacuum.EligibleTables"></a>

Often, it is one or two tables in need of vacuuming. Tables whose `relfrozenxid` value is greater than the number of transactions in `autovacuum_freeze_max_age` are always targeted by autovacuum. Otherwise, if the number of tuples made obsolete since the last VACUUM exceeds the vacuum threshold, the table is vacuumed.

The [autovacuum threshold](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/routine-vacuuming.html#AUTOVACUUM) is defined as:

```
Vacuum-threshold = vacuum-base-threshold + vacuum-scale-factor * number-of-tuples
```

where the `vacuum base threshold` is `autovacuum_vacuum_threshold`, the `vacuum scale factor` is `autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor`, and the `number of tuples` is `pg_class.reltuples`.

While you are connected to your database, run the following query to see a list of tables that autovacuum sees as eligible for vacuuming.

```
WITH vbt AS (SELECT setting AS autovacuum_vacuum_threshold FROM 
pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum_vacuum_threshold'),
vsf AS (SELECT setting AS autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor FROM 
pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor'), 
fma AS (SELECT setting AS autovacuum_freeze_max_age FROM pg_settings WHERE name = 'autovacuum_freeze_max_age'),
sto AS (select opt_oid, split_part(setting, '=', 1) as param,
split_part(setting, '=', 2) as value from (select oid opt_oid, unnest(reloptions) setting from pg_class) opt)
SELECT '"'||ns.nspname||'"."'||c.relname||'"' as relation,
pg_size_pretty(pg_table_size(c.oid)) as table_size,
age(relfrozenxid) as xid_age,
coalesce(cfma.value::float, autovacuum_freeze_max_age::float) autovacuum_freeze_max_age,
(coalesce(cvbt.value::float, autovacuum_vacuum_threshold::float) +
coalesce(cvsf.value::float,autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor::float) * c.reltuples)
AS autovacuum_vacuum_tuples, n_dead_tup as dead_tuples FROM
pg_class c join pg_namespace ns on ns.oid = c.relnamespace 
join pg_stat_all_tables stat on stat.relid = c.oid join vbt on (1=1) join vsf on (1=1) join fma on (1=1)
left join sto cvbt on cvbt.param = 'autovacuum_vacuum_threshold' and c.oid = cvbt.opt_oid 
left join sto cvsf on cvsf.param = 'autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor' and c.oid = cvsf.opt_oid
left join sto cfma on cfma.param = 'autovacuum_freeze_max_age' and c.oid = cfma.opt_oid
WHERE c.relkind = 'r' and nspname <> 'pg_catalog'
AND (age(relfrozenxid) >= coalesce(cfma.value::float, autovacuum_freeze_max_age::float)
OR coalesce(cvbt.value::float, autovacuum_vacuum_threshold::float) + 
coalesce(cvsf.value::float,autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor::float) * 
c.reltuples <= n_dead_tup)
ORDER BY age(relfrozenxid) DESC LIMIT 50;
```