Per the docs,
All table_name unique indexes that, without regard to order, contain exactly the
conflict_target-specified columns/expressions are inferred (chosen) as arbiter
indexes. If an index_predicate is specified, it must, as a further requirement
for inference, satisfy arbiter indexes.
The docs go on to say,
[index_predicate are u]sed to allow inference of partial unique indexes
In an understated way, the docs are saying that when using a partial index and
upserting with ON CONFLICT, the index_predicate must be specified. It is not
inferred for you. I learned this
here, and the following example demonstrates this.
CREATE TABLE test.accounts (
id int PRIMARY KEY GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY,
type text,
person_id int);
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX accounts_note_idx on accounts (type, person_id) WHERE ((type)::text="PersonAccount"::text);
INSERT INTO test.accounts (type, person_id) VALUES ('PersonAccount', 10);
so that we have:
unutbu=# select * from test.accounts;
+----+---------------+-----------+
| id | type | person_id |
+----+---------------+-----------+
| 1 | PersonAccount | 10 |
+----+---------------+-----------+
(1 row)
Without index_predicate
we get an error:
INSERT INTO test.accounts (type, person_id) VALUES ('PersonAccount', 10) ON CONFLICT (type, person_id) DO NOTHING;
-- ERROR: there is no unique or exclusion constraint matching the ON CONFLICT specification
But if instead you include the index_predicate, WHERE ((type)::text="PersonAccount"::text)
:
INSERT INTO test.accounts (type, person_id) VALUES ('PersonAccount', 10)
ON CONFLICT (type, person_id)
WHERE ((type)::text="PersonAccount"::text) DO NOTHING;
then there is no error and DO NOTHING is honored.