PostgreSQL 18 reference · String Functions

PostgreSQL RIGHT() Function

Return the last n characters of a string. A negative n returns all but the first |n| characters.

PostgreSQL 18 Since 9.1

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Syntax

right(string, n)

Parameter	Description
`string`	The input text.
`n`	How many characters to keep; negative drops from the start.

Text.

From the right

SELECT right('invoice-2026.pdf', 3) AS ext, right('ReadyCamel', -5) AS b;

Output

 ext |   b
-----+-------
 pdf | Camel
(1 row)

Run this on your computer — see “Get Started” for setup.

Mask all but the last digits

SELECT '**** ' || right('4111222233334444', 4) AS masked;

Output

  masked
-----------
 **** 4444
(1 row)

Run this on your computer — see “Get Started” for setup.

Version	Change
PostgreSQL 9.1	Added

LEFT() · Return the first n characters of a string. A negative n returns all but the last |n| characters.
SUBSTRING() · Extract part of a string by 1-based position and length, or the part matching a regular expression.
SQL String Functions · tutorial