UtilityKit

500+ fast, free tools. Most run in your browser only; Image & PDF tools upload files to the backend when you run them.

SQL Formatter

Format and prettify SQL queries

About SQL Formatter

SQL written by query builders, ORMs, and log exporters arrives as a single unbroken line: keywords jammed against table names, subqueries nested four levels deep, and WHERE clauses that scroll off the screen. Reading unformatted SQL to debug a slow query or review a migration is one of the most frustrating tasks in backend development. This tool takes any SQL statement — SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, or complex multi-join queries — and formats it into indented, keyword-capitalized, clause-aligned SQL that you can actually read. Each major clause starts on its own line. Nested subqueries are indented to show their scope. Window functions and CTEs are formatted with their own indentation levels. The output supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and standard ANSI SQL dialects. Formatting runs in the browser so queries stay private.

Why use SQL Formatter

Clause-by-Clause Layout

Each SQL clause — SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY, LIMIT — starts on its own line with consistent indentation. Reading query structure and spotting missing conditions or joins becomes immediate rather than requiring careful scanning.

Subquery Indentation

Nested subqueries are indented relative to their parent query, making it clear which SELECT belongs to which level. Deep nesting that is impossible to follow in a single line becomes visually obvious in the formatted output.

CTE Support

Common Table Expressions introduced with the WITH keyword are formatted with each CTE on its own named block and the final query below, reflecting the logical execution order and making recursive CTEs readable.

Multi-Dialect Aware

Formatting rules adapt to MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and SQLite dialects. Dialect-specific syntax like LIMIT/OFFSET, TOP, and PostgreSQL dollar-quoting is handled correctly without mangling keyword detection.

Keyword Capitalization

SQL keywords can be normalized to uppercase, lowercase, or left as-is. Uppercase is the most widely used convention and maximizes visual contrast between keywords and identifiers in code review.

Browser-Local

Formatting runs entirely in your browser. SQL queries that include table names, column values, or embedded data from production databases never leave your machine.

How to use SQL Formatter

  1. Paste your raw or minified SQL into the input editor
  2. Select your SQL dialect: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or ANSI
  3. Choose keyword capitalization: uppercase (SELECT), lowercase (select), or preserve original
  4. Click Format to produce indented, clause-aligned SQL
  5. Review the output to confirm subquery indentation and JOIN alignment are correct
  6. Copy the formatted SQL and paste it into your database client, migration file, or code review

When to use SQL Formatter

  • You are reviewing a migration script generated by an ORM and need to verify query logic before running it
  • A slow query log or EXPLAIN output arrived as a single unbroken line and you need to read it
  • You are writing a complex multi-join query and want to format it for inclusion in a pull request or documentation
  • You inherited a legacy stored procedure and need to understand its structure before modifying it
  • You are debugging a query built dynamically by application code and want to see its formatted structure
  • You want to standardize keyword casing and indentation across SQL files in a codebase

Examples

Minified SELECT formatted

Input: select u.id,u.name,o.total from users u inner join orders o on u.id=o.user_id where u.active=1 order by o.total desc

Output: SELECT u.id, u.name, o.total FROM users u INNER JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.active = 1 ORDER BY o.total DESC

CTE formatted

Input: with ranked as (select id,name,row_number() over(partition by dept order by salary desc) as rn from employees) select * from ranked where rn=1

Output: WITH ranked AS ( SELECT id, name, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY dept ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rn FROM employees ) SELECT * FROM ranked WHERE rn = 1

Nested subquery

Input: select * from users where id in (select user_id from orders where total > 100)

Output: SELECT * FROM users WHERE id IN ( SELECT user_id FROM orders WHERE total > 100 )

Tips

  • Format queries before running EXPLAIN or EXPLAIN ANALYZE — structured output is much easier to correlate with the execution plan nodes.
  • Use uppercase keywords in code committed to version control — the visual contrast between keywords and identifiers makes code reviews faster.
  • For CTEs, give each expression a descriptive name before formatting — formatted CTEs expose poor naming that was hidden in inline subqueries.
  • When reviewing ORM-generated SQL, format it to check for N+1 patterns, missing indexes on JOIN columns, and unintended Cartesian joins.
  • Strip sensitive column values from queries before sharing formatted output in bug reports or Slack messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does formatting change the meaning or behavior of the SQL?▾
No. SQL formatting is purely cosmetic — it adds whitespace and adjusts capitalization. The parser and execution plan produced by your database are identical for formatted and unformatted SQL.
Which SQL dialects are supported?▾
The formatter supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server (T-SQL), SQLite, and ANSI SQL. Dialect selection affects how dialect-specific keywords and functions are handled, such as PostgreSQL's dollar-quoting and SQL Server's TOP clause.
Can it format stored procedures and functions?▾
Yes. CREATE PROCEDURE, CREATE FUNCTION, and BEGIN/END blocks are formatted with indented bodies. Procedural constructs like IF/ELSE, LOOP, and DECLARE are also supported for most dialects.
How are CTEs (WITH clauses) formatted?▾
Each CTE is formatted as a named block with its query indented inside parentheses. Multiple CTEs are separated by commas, and the final SELECT follows after the last CTE definition.
Does it handle window functions?▾
Yes. Window functions with OVER (PARTITION BY ... ORDER BY ...) are formatted with the OVER clause on a new line and the window specification indented, making complex analytics queries readable.
Can I use this on SQL embedded in application code?▾
Paste the SQL string value (without surrounding string delimiters) and format it. Parameterized query placeholders like ? or $1 are left as-is and do not affect formatting.
Does it validate SQL syntax?▾
The formatter performs structural parsing to apply indentation correctly, which means it reports an error on heavily malformed SQL. However, it is not a semantic validator — it does not verify that tables or columns exist.
How do I minify SQL back to a single line?▾
Use the Minify option to collapse the formatted SQL back to a single line with minimal whitespace, suitable for embedding in application code or reducing query string size in logs.

Explore the category

GraphQL Formatter Format and minify GraphQL queries, mutations, and SDL schemas in your browser. No external library needed. SQL Minifier Minify SQL by removing comments and redundant whitespace safely. XML Formatter Beautify and minify XML documents YAML Validator & Linter Validate, format, and lint YAML in your browser. Get error messages with line numbers and convert to JSON. RTF to Text Converter Convert Rich Text Format files to plain text in your browser JSON Formatter Format, validate and minify JSON
SQL Basics: From Zero to Writing Real Queries SQL is one of the most valuable skills a developer can have — and the fundamentals are surprisingly approachable. Start here to write your f Mar 2026 · 12 min NoSQL vs SQL: Choosing the Right Database for Your Project The choice between SQL and NoSQL is not about which is better — it is about matching the data model to your access patterns. Here is a frame Mar 2026 · 10 min Understanding Database Indexes: How They Work and When to Use Them An index can turn a ten-second query into a millisecond query — or slow down your writes significantly if misused. Understanding the data st Mar 2026 · 10 min

Glossary

CTE
Common Table Expression — a named temporary result set defined with the WITH keyword before a SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement. CTEs improve readability by naming subqueries.
Window function
A SQL function that operates over a set of rows related to the current row, defined with the OVER clause. Examples include RANK(), ROW_NUMBER(), and LAG(). They do not collapse rows like aggregate functions.
Subquery
A SELECT statement nested inside another SQL statement. Subqueries can appear in the FROM clause as a derived table, in the WHERE clause as a condition, or in the SELECT list as a scalar subquery.
Dialect
A vendor-specific variant of SQL with proprietary extensions and syntax differences. Major dialects include MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server (T-SQL), Oracle, and SQLite.
EXPLAIN
A SQL command prefix that shows the query execution plan without running the query, used to diagnose slow query performance. PostgreSQL's EXPLAIN ANALYZE also executes the query and reports actual timings.
DDL
Data Definition Language — SQL statements that define database structure: CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, DROP TABLE, CREATE INDEX. DDL is formatted alongside DML (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).