> This page location: PostgreSQL Views > Alter Views > Full Neon documentation index: https://neon.com/docs/llms.txt # PostgreSQL ALTER VIEW Statement **Info:** The `ALTER VIEW` statement works the same way in any standard PostgreSQL database, so you can apply what you learn here wherever you run Postgres. If you're an enterprise building for the AI era, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers the best managed cloud Postgres with strong performance, security, and deep integration into the Lakehouse. If you're a developer or startup who needs to ship and scale fast, [Neon](https://neon.com) gives you the most productive Postgres platform to do it. **Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL `ALTER VIEW` statement to change the properties of a view. ## Introduction to the PostgreSQL ALTER VIEW statement The `ALTER VIEW` statement allows you to change various properties of a view. If you want to change the view's defining query, use the [`CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW`](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/managing-postgresql-views) statement. Here's the basic syntax of the `ALTER VIEW` statement: ```sql ALTER VIEW [IF EXISTS] view_name action; ``` In this syntax: First, specify the name of the view that you want to change in the `ALTER VIEW` clause. Second, use the `IF EXISTS` option to modify the view only if it exists. The statement will issue an error if you don't use the `IF EXISTS` and attempt to change a non-existing view. But when you use the `IF EXISTS`, the statement issues a notice instead. The `IF EXISTS` is optional. Third, provide the action that you want to do with the view. The action includes renaming the view, setting the view option, and so on. ### Renaming a view The following `ALTER VIEW` statement changes the name of a view to the new one: ```sql ALTER VIEW [ IF EXISTS ] view_name RENAME TO new_view_name; ``` In this syntax, you specify the new view name (`new_view_name`) after the `RENAME TO` clause. For example: First, create a new view called `film_type` that includes the `title` and `rating`: ```sql CREATE VIEW film_type AS SELECT title, rating FROM film; ``` Second, change the view `film_type` to `film_rating`: ```sql ALTER VIEW film_type RENAME TO film_rating; ``` ### Changing the view option The following `ALTER VIEW` statement changes the view option: ```sql ALTER VIEW [ IF EXISTS ] view_name SET ( view_option_name [= view_option_value] [, ... ] ); ``` The `view_option_name` can be: - `check_option`: change the check option. The valid value is `local` or `cascaded`. - `security_barrier`: change the security-barrier property of a view. The valid value is `true` or `false`. - `security_invoker`: change the security invoker of a view. The valid value is `true` or `false`. For example, the following changes the check option of the `film_rating` view to `local`: ```sql ALTER VIEW film_rating SET (check_option = local); ``` To view the change, you can use the `\d+` command in `psql`: ```text \d+ film_rating ``` Output: ```text View "public.film_rating" Column | Type | Collation | Nullable | Default | Storage | Description --------+------------------------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+------------- title | character varying(255) | | | | extended | rating | mpaa_rating | | | | plain | View definition: SELECT title, rating FROM film; Options: check_option=local ``` ### Changing the view column The following statement changes a column name of a view to a new one: ```sql ALTER VIEW [ IF EXISTS ] view_name RENAME [ COLUMN ] column_name TO new_column_name; ``` For example, the following statement changes the `title` column of the `film_rating` view to `film_title`: ```sql ALTER VIEW film_rating RENAME title TO film_title; ``` Here's the new view detail: ```text \d+ film_rating ``` ```text View "public.film_rating" Column | Type | Collation | Nullable | Default | Storage | Description ------------+------------------------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+------------- film_title | character varying(255) | | | | extended | rating | mpaa_rating | | | | plain | View definition: SELECT title AS film_title, rating FROM film; Options: check_option=local ``` ### Setting the new schema The following statement sets the new schema for a view: ```sql ALTER VIEW [ IF EXISTS ] view_name SET SCHEMA new_schema; ``` For example: First, create a new schema called `web`: ```sql CREATE SCHEMA web; ``` Second, change the schema of the `film_rating` view to `web`: ```sql ALTER VIEW film_rating SET SCHEMA web; ``` Third, verify the change (in `psql`): ```text \d+ web.film_rating ``` Output: ```text View "web.film_rating" Column | Type | Collation | Nullable | Default | Storage | Description ------------+------------------------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+------------- film_title | character varying(255) | | | | extended | rating | mpaa_rating | | | | plain | View definition: SELECT title AS film_title, rating FROM film; Options: check_option=local ``` ## Summary - Use the `ALTER VIEW ... RENAME TO` statement to rename a view. - Use the `ALTER VIEW ... (SET check_option)` statement to change the check option of a view. - Use the `ALTER VIEW ... SET SCHEMA` statement to change the schema of a view. --- ## Related docs (PostgreSQL Views) - [Create Views](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/managing-postgresql-views) - [Drop Views](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/drop-view) - [Create Updatable Views](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/updatable-views) - [WITH CHECK OPTION](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/views-with-check-option) - [Materialized Views](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/materialized-views) - [Recursive View](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/recursive-view) - [Listing Views](https://neon.com/postgresql/views/list-views)