SQL formatter. Readable in one keystroke.

How to use the SQL Formatter

This formatter rewrites a SQL query with consistent line breaks, indentation and keyword case so it is easier to read and review, or squeezes it onto one line. It uses the open source sql-formatter library, which knows the syntax of 13 dialects. It is for developers and analysts tidying queries before a code review, a ticket or documentation.

Step by step

1. 1
   Paste your SQL

   Paste one or more statements into Input SQL. The page opens with a sample SELECT and INSERT already formatted, and Load sample brings them back. The small counter above the box shows the number of lines and the size of what you pasted.

2. 2
   Pick the dialect

   Choose your database under Dialect, from Standard SQL to MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server (T-SQL), BigQuery, Snowflake or Oracle PL/SQL. The dialect tells the formatter which keywords, quote styles and operators to expect.

3. 3
   Set the layout

   Choose Indent as 2 spaces, 4 spaces or Tab, Keyword case as UPPERCASE, lowercase or Preserve, and Blank lines between queries as 1, 2 or 0. The defaults are 2 spaces, UPPERCASE and 1.

4. 4
   Format or minify

   Press Format to lay the query out across lines, or Minify to put everything on one line. Typing in the input does not update the output on its own; press Format again after you edit. Changing an option above re-formats the output straight away.

5. 5
   Copy or download

   Press Copy to put the output on your clipboard, or Download .sql to save it as formatted.sql. Clear empties both panes.

Reading the result

• After Format, the status next to Output shows the line count. The sample comes out as 25 lines, with each clause such as SELECT, FROM and WHERE on its own line and its items indented below.
• After Minify, the status shows the size before and after and the percentage saved. Formatting adds spaces around operators, so a query that was already compact can come out slightly larger, which shows as 0% smaller.
• Minify joins all statements into a single line separated by semicolons, not one line per statement.
• If the parser cannot read the input, the output turns red with Could not format this SQL and the parser's message. Fix the part it names and press Format again.

Tips and common mistakes

• Remove line comments that start with two dashes before you press Minify. Minify joins every line, so the comment swallows the code after it and the query breaks.
• Changing an option always switches the output back to the formatted view, even if you had just minified. Press Minify again afterward.
• Keyword case changes SQL keywords such as SELECT and AND. Function names such as count and sum keep the case you typed.
• Pick the right dialect for vendor specific syntax, such as square bracket names in SQL Server or backtick names in MySQL. The wrong dialect can trigger a parse error.
• The formatter tidies layout only. It does not check that tables and columns exist or that the query will run.

Privacy and limits

Formatting runs in your browser with a copy of the sql-formatter library served from this site, not a third party CDN. Your SQL is not sent anywhere or saved, so it is safe to paste production queries.

Back to the tool

Everything a formatter should do.

Frequently asked questions.

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