25006 — read_only_sql_transaction

25006 is returned when a command would write in a read-only transaction. The selected case issues CREATE TABLE after SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY, observes INERROR, rolls back, and creates the table after leaving the read-only block.

English manual coverage begins with PostgreSQL 8.1. Source history and runtime observations have their own recorded version boundaries.

Reading PG 18·Select a recorded version

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

aliases: Unknown
class name: Invalid Transaction State
condition name: read_only_sql_transaction
lang: en
sqlstate: 25006

Definition PG 18

25006 — read_only_sql_transaction

At a glance {#at-a-glance}

25006 is returned when a command would write in a read-only transaction. The selected case issues CREATE TABLE after SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY, observes INERROR, rolls back, and creates the table after leaving the read-only block.

Meaning {#meaning}

The code covers several guards. PreventCommandIfReadOnly formats the command name into cannot execute %s in a read-only transaction; the fixed source also has recovery-only messages for temporary tables and replication origins. The selected case covers the ordinary explicit read-only transaction path, while a standby or recovery path can use a different command-specific message.

Diagnosis {#diagnosis}

Record the exact command, SQLSTATE, severity, and transaction status. Before retrying, inspect the effective SHOW transaction_read_only and, for a server-level boundary, pg_is_in_recovery(); also identify whether a pool routed this connection to a standby. In the selected run, CREATE TABLE returns 25006 and leaves the explicit block INERROR; ROLLBACK is required before the same session can be used. A later CREATE TABLE outside the read-only block succeeds.

Response {#response}

Decide whether the operation belongs in a read-only transaction. If it must write, use a read/write transaction on the primary or run it outside the read-only block, and roll back the failed block before returning the connection to a pool. A standby or recovery-only 25006 path requires routing the operation to the primary; retrying the same write on the same target cannot change its access mode.

Source messages {#messages}

The core utility template is cannot execute %s in a read-only transaction. The same utility guard uses cannot execute %s during recovery on a recovery target; recovery-only temporary-table and replication-origin paths have their own fixed text. %s is the executing command name, so these are not context-free static messages.

Observed diagnostics {#observed}

18.6 (Homebrew) / latest: SQLSTATE 25006; primary cannot execute CREATE TABLE in a read-only transaction; INERROR → IDLE; repaired relation count 0; final IDLE. 10.21 (Debian 10.21-1.pgdg90+1) / pg10: SQLSTATE 25006; primary cannot execute CREATE TABLE in a read-only transaction; INERROR → IDLE; repaired relation count 0; final IDLE.

Representative case {#case}

The runner reads the setup, read-only transaction, rollback, and outside-block repair statements below from the shared registry; complete assertions, environment, and cleanup are in case export.

-- create
CREATE TABLE items(id integer PRIMARY KEY, note text NOT NULL);
-- begin
BEGIN;
-- read_only
SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY;
-- trigger
CREATE TABLE blocked(id integer PRIMARY KEY);
-- rollback
ROLLBACK;
-- repair
CREATE TABLE blocked(id integer PRIMARY KEY);
-- verify
SELECT count(*) FROM blocked;

The SQLSTATE, diagnostics, states, and repair assertions for this excerpt come from the shared registry (SHA-256 62db30e401b1f72fa50958d0ac612b2b1eb636299532dd1ad246c167e4f9fadf); structured evidence.

Authored evidence IDs: identity, utility-path, other-paths, runtime. Selected runtime records: runtime.25006-batch2-latest-20260909.latest, runtime.25006-batch2-pg10-20260909.pg10.

Versions and limits {#versions}

The selected CREATE TABLE case passes on PostgreSQL 18.6 and 10.21 with the same primary text, INERROR → IDLE recovery, and a successful repaired relation. Other 25006 source paths remain outside this runtime case.

Related {#related}

25P02 failed SQL transaction, 25001 active SQL transaction, 25P03 idle-in-transaction timeout.

Sources {#sources}

src.errcodes.18.6 (SHA-256 6e8de346643ba84aa3c9c6a73360acfc7b2dfb89162c06c08ce9bf5bcd5bbcba)
src.calls.REL_18_6 — raw/calls/REL_18_6.jsonl (SHA-256 9ee8a0e81d8f0825c5c1ae45583439859a26e602bdd4ce2f2a62aa278867ccbf)
src.utility.18.6 (SHA-256 7aae5d07628b6debf8456d1d4ea96f28912232192e56ea25773b4c4b61235a00)
src.namespace.18.6 (SHA-256 8c9e6a99e84fa2cec8a9b1de2ecbe3966a13f4ad68c6ccfbfb8134a754d73e56)
src.origin.18.6 (SHA-256 81e5d5b4539b67bb372f0f0a05395af900c322cdbcec8a4b1f358333a16e6518)
doc.set-transaction.18.6 (SHA-256 33554463a2c9da1cf2c72cc27d4647d557204bb13a03cfeccb1b83f237a46589) · official documentation

Compare versions

SQLSTATE evidence and recorded runtime versions

cases · read_only_transaction

{
  "assertions": [
    "SQLSTATE is 25006",
    "The CREATE TABLE read-only diagnostic is exact",
    "The failed transaction is INERROR, ROLLBACK restores IDLE",
    "The table can be created after leaving read-only mode"
  ],
  "case_id": "read_only_transaction",
  "cleanup": "Drop the case schema with an owner connection.",
  "has_snippet": true,
  "position": 0,
  "preconditions": [
    "A runner-owned disposable target is provisioned."
  ],
  "repair": "Follow the explicit transaction or source boundary described by the case.",
  "trigger": "Run CREATE TABLE after SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY.",
  "versions": [
    "10",
    "18"
  ]
}

claims · identity

{
  "claim_id": "identity",
  "limits": "The same code covers more than one read-only/recovery guard.",
  "method": "Read the fixed condition row and macro.",
  "position": 0,
  "runtime": [],
  "sources": [
    "src.errcodes.18.6"
  ],
  "statement": "25006 is read_only_sql_transaction in Class 25."
}

claims · utility-path

{
  "claim_id": "utility-path",
  "limits": "The %s substitution is command-specific; recovery and parallel-operation paths have their own conditions/messages.",
  "method": "Trace PreventCommandIfReadOnly and the documented read-only command restrictions.",
  "position": 1,
  "runtime": [],
  "sources": [
    "src.utility.18.6",
    "src.calls.REL_18_6",
    "doc.set-transaction.18.6"
  ],
  "statement": "PreventCommandIfReadOnly formats the SQL command name into “cannot execute %s in a read-only transaction”; CREATE TABLE is one ordinary utility path."
}

claims · other-paths

{
  "claim_id": "other-paths",
  "limits": "Those recovery paths were not constructed by the selected ordinary read-only transaction case.",
  "method": "Read the additional fixed source report groups.",
  "position": 2,
  "runtime": [],
  "sources": [
    "src.namespace.18.6",
    "src.origin.18.6"
  ],
  "statement": "The fixed source also uses 25006 for temporary-table creation during recovery and replication-origin manipulation during recovery."
}

claims · runtime

{
  "claim_id": "runtime",
  "limits": "The case covers the ordinary explicit read-only utility path, not recovery-only temporary-table or replication-origin paths.",
  "method": "Read the selected summaries and structured diagnostics.",
  "position": 3,
  "runtime": [],
  "sources": [
    "runtime",
    "runtime.25006-batch2-latest-20260909.latest",
    "runtime.25006-batch2-pg10-20260909.pg10"
  ],
  "statement": "The selected read-only CREATE TABLE case returned 25006 on PostgreSQL 18.6 and 10.21, entered INERROR, recovered after ROLLBACK, and created the relation outside the read-only transaction."
}

claims · recovery-utility

{
  "claim_id": "recovery-utility",
  "limits": "The %s substitution is command-specific; the selected runtime did not run on a standby or recovery target.",
  "method": "Read the recovery guard and resolved report group in utility.c.",
  "position": 4,
  "runtime": [],
  "sources": [
    "src.utility.18.6",
    "src.calls.REL_18_6"
  ],
  "statement": "The same fixed utility source uses 25006 during recovery with the command-specific message \"cannot execute %s during recovery\"; this is separate from the selected ordinary read-only transaction path."
}

messages · utility

{
  "limits": "The %s substitution is the command name.",
  "message_id": "utility",
  "path": "",
  "position": 0,
  "raw": {
    "id": "utility",
    "limits": "The %s substitution is the command name.",
    "primary_template": "cannot execute %s in a read-only transaction",
    "severity_source": "ERROR",
    "sources": [
      "src.utility.18.6"
    ],
    "sqlstate": "25006"
  },
  "severity": "ERROR",
  "sources": [
    "src.utility.18.6"
  ],
  "templates": [
    {
      "kind": "primary",
      "literal": "cannot execute in a read-only transaction",
      "position": 0,
      "role": "",
      "template": "cannot execute %s in a read-only transaction"
    }
  ]
}

messages · utility-recovery

{
  "limits": "Recovery-only utility path; %s is the command name and this was not the selected ordinary read-only case.",
  "message_id": "utility-recovery",
  "path": "",
  "position": 1,
  "raw": {
    "id": "utility-recovery",
    "limits": "Recovery-only utility path; %s is the command name and this was not the selected ordinary read-only case.",
    "primary_template": "cannot execute %s during recovery",
    "severity_source": "ERROR",
    "sources": [
      "src.utility.18.6"
    ],
    "sqlstate": "25006"
  },
  "severity": "ERROR",
  "sources": [
    "src.utility.18.6"
  ],
  "templates": [
    {
      "kind": "primary",
      "literal": "cannot execute during recovery",
      "position": 0,
      "role": "",
      "template": "cannot execute %s during recovery"
    }
  ]
}

messages · recovery-temp

{
  "limits": "A recovery-only path; not the selected case.",
  "message_id": "recovery-temp",
  "path": "",
  "position": 2,
  "raw": {
    "id": "recovery-temp",
    "limits": "A recovery-only path; not the selected case.",
    "primary_template": "cannot create temporary tables during recovery",
    "severity_source": "ERROR",
    "sources": [
      "src.namespace.18.6"
    ],
    "sqlstate": "25006"
  },
  "severity": "ERROR",
  "sources": [
    "src.namespace.18.6"
  ],
  "templates": [
    {
      "kind": "primary",
      "literal": "cannot create temporary tables during recovery",
      "position": 0,
      "role": "",
      "template": "cannot create temporary tables during recovery"
    }
  ]
}

messages · recovery-origin

{
  "limits": "A recovery-only path; not the selected case.",
  "message_id": "recovery-origin",
  "path": "",
  "position": 3,
  "raw": {
    "id": "recovery-origin",
    "limits": "A recovery-only path; not the selected case.",
    "primary_template": "cannot manipulate replication origins during recovery",
    "severity_source": "ERROR",
    "sources": [
      "src.origin.18.6"
    ],
    "sqlstate": "25006"
  },
  "severity": "ERROR",
  "sources": [
    "src.origin.18.6"
  ],
  "templates": [
    {
      "kind": "primary",
      "literal": "cannot manipulate replication origins during recovery",
      "position": 0,
      "role": "",
      "template": "cannot manipulate replication origins during recovery"
    }
  ]
}

runtimes · runtime.25006-batch2-latest-20260909.latest · 18.6 (Homebrew) · passed

{
  "cases": [
    "read_only_transaction"
  ],
  "limits": "",
  "position": 0,
  "raw": {
    "case_manifest": {
      "path": "verify/cases/25006/cases.json",
      "sha256": "2009137faa2d1ebbbfa4dedfc1be073f9ea41b4bedd6c0acb34f3215ae37e25f"
    },
    "case_status": "passed",
    "cases": [
      "read_only_transaction"
    ],
    "id": "runtime.25006-batch2-latest-20260909.latest",
    "observed": {
      "after_error": "INERROR",
      "after_rollback": "IDLE",
      "final_status": "IDLE",
      "primary": "cannot execute CREATE TABLE in a read-only transaction",
      "repair_relation": "\"c25006_read_only_transaction\".\"blocked\"",
      "rows_after_repair": 0,
      "sqlstate": "25006"
    },
    "raw": "verify/results/25006-batch2-latest-20260909/latest/raw.jsonl",
    "raw_sha256": "b506359510adfe87c3fb8dbf50ed863b7fcdaad5b6bbb7ebf910ecec38c80780",
    "run_id": "25006-batch2-latest-20260909",
    "server_version": "18.6 (Homebrew)",
    "server_version_num": 180006,
    "snippet_registry": {
      "path": "verify/cases/25006/snippets.json",
      "sha256": "62db30e401b1f72fa50958d0ac612b2b1eb636299532dd1ad246c167e4f9fadf"
    },
    "status": "passed",
    "summary": "verify/results/25006-batch2-latest-20260909/latest/summary.json",
    "summary_sha256": "24fcf5d910c49c64eb3277bc4642190fe182f1ae2b731b2dffb0a5474c0189fe",
    "target": "latest",
    "target_status": "passed"
  },
  "run_id": "25006-batch2-latest-20260909",
  "runtime_id": "runtime.25006-batch2-latest-20260909.latest",
  "server_version": "18.6 (Homebrew)",
  "status": "passed",
  "target": "latest"
}

runtimes · runtime.25006-batch2-pg10-20260909.pg10 · 10.21 (Debian 10.21-1.pgdg90+1) · passed

{
  "cases": [
    "read_only_transaction"
  ],
  "limits": "",
  "position": 1,
  "raw": {
    "case_manifest": {
      "path": "verify/cases/25006/cases.json",
      "sha256": "2009137faa2d1ebbbfa4dedfc1be073f9ea41b4bedd6c0acb34f3215ae37e25f"
    },
    "case_status": "passed",
    "cases": [
      "read_only_transaction"
    ],
    "id": "runtime.25006-batch2-pg10-20260909.pg10",
    "observed": {
      "after_error": "INERROR",
      "after_rollback": "IDLE",
      "final_status": "IDLE",
      "primary": "cannot execute CREATE TABLE in a read-only transaction",
      "repair_relation": "\"c25006_read_only_transaction\".\"blocked\"",
      "rows_after_repair": 0,
      "sqlstate": "25006"
    },
    "raw": "verify/results/25006-batch2-pg10-20260909/pg10/raw.jsonl",
    "raw_sha256": "8aa0068ea4575ffc24bc86d329a039a63c80f5e218cad36e9e6bfa3075c8c731",
    "run_id": "25006-batch2-pg10-20260909",
    "server_version": "10.21 (Debian 10.21-1.pgdg90+1)",
    "server_version_num": 100021,
    "snippet_registry": {
      "path": "verify/cases/25006/snippets.json",
      "sha256": "62db30e401b1f72fa50958d0ac612b2b1eb636299532dd1ad246c167e4f9fadf"
    },
    "status": "passed",
    "summary": "verify/results/25006-batch2-pg10-20260909/pg10/summary.json",
    "summary_sha256": "9de68a1e3ec84530fad088519fe71f009fde4dfefd02bd27e15096fb6c5b498a",
    "target": "pg10",
    "target_status": "passed"
  },
  "run_id": "25006-batch2-pg10-20260909",
  "runtime_id": "runtime.25006-batch2-pg10-20260909.pg10",
  "server_version": "10.21 (Debian 10.21-1.pgdg90+1)",
  "status": "passed",
  "target": "pg10"
}

sources · src.errcodes.18.6

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  "path": "src/backend/utils/errcodes.txt",
  "position": 0,
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  "source_id": "src.errcodes.18.6",
  "tag": "REL_18_6",
  "url": "https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7/src/backend/utils/errcodes.txt"
}

sources · src.calls.REL_18_6

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  "kind": "local_artifact",
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  "path": "raw/calls/REL_18_6.jsonl",
  "position": 1,
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  "source_id": "src.calls.REL_18_6",
  "tag": "",
  "url": ""
}

sources · src.utility.18.6

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  "path": "src/backend/tcop/utility.c",
  "position": 2,
  "sha256": "7aae5d07628b6debf8456d1d4ea96f28912232192e56ea25773b4c4b61235a00",
  "source_id": "src.utility.18.6",
  "tag": "REL_18_6",
  "url": "https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7/src/backend/tcop/utility.c#L397-L448"
}

sources · src.namespace.18.6

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  "path": "src/backend/catalog/namespace.c",
  "position": 3,
  "sha256": "8c9e6a99e84fa2cec8a9b1de2ecbe3966a13f4ad68c6ccfbfb8134a754d73e56",
  "source_id": "src.namespace.18.6",
  "tag": "REL_18_6",
  "url": "https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7/src/backend/catalog/namespace.c#L4418-L4437"
}

sources · src.origin.18.6

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  "path": "src/backend/replication/logical/origin.c",
  "position": 4,
  "sha256": "81e5d5b4539b67bb372f0f0a05395af900c322cdbcec8a4b1f358333a16e6518",
  "source_id": "src.origin.18.6",
  "tag": "REL_18_6",
  "url": "https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7/src/backend/replication/logical/origin.c#L189-L200"
}

sources · doc.set-transaction.18.6

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  "location": "",
  "path": "doc/src/sgml/ref/set_transaction.sgml",
  "position": 5,
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  "source_id": "doc.set-transaction.18.6",
  "tag": "REL_18_6",
  "url": "https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7/doc/src/sgml/ref/set_transaction.sgml#L131-L145"
}

Source references

Original manual reference

Full definition and evidence JSON

Definition sources

center · PostgreSQL 18 · english-manuals:7845b825032955824315db9b8ee306470412f9a99ab3f92ae12eb8009ce1a2c5

Text language: en · english-manuals:7845b825032955824315db9b8ee306470412f9a99ab3f92ae12eb8009ce1a2c5