SQL Formatter

Format and beautify SQL queries. Make SQL readable with proper indentation and syntax highlighting.

What It Does

A SQL Formatter is a development tool that beautifies and standardizes SQL query formatting, transforming compressed or poorly formatted SQL code into clean, readable statements with proper indentation, line breaks, and keyword capitalization. SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for managing relational databases, and well-formatted queries are essential for code readability, maintenance, debugging, and team collaboration. This formatter supports multiple SQL dialects (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle) and handles complex queries with subqueries, joins, CTEs, and window functions.

Key Features:

  • Automatic SQL beautification with customizable formatting styles
  • Support for major SQL dialects: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle
  • Configurable indentation (2 spaces, 4 spaces, tabs)
  • Keyword capitalization options (UPPERCASE, lowercase, Capitalize)
  • Syntax highlighting for improved readability
  • Minification mode to compress SQL for production
  • Handle complex queries: joins, subqueries, CTEs, window functions
  • Copy formatted SQL with one click

How To Use

Format your SQL queries instantly for better readability and maintenance. Whether you're debugging database queries or preparing code for review, our formatter makes SQL clean and professional.

1

Paste Your SQL Query

Copy any SQL statement from your application, database tool, or log files and paste it into the input area. The formatter accepts compressed, single-line, or already-formatted SQL.

2

Select SQL Dialect

Choose your database type (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle) to ensure proper formatting of dialect-specific syntax and functions.

3

Choose Formatting Options

Select indentation style (2 or 4 spaces, tabs), keyword case (UPPERCASE recommended for keywords), and whether to format or minify the query.

4

View Formatted Output

Instantly see your SQL beautifully formatted with proper indentation, aligned keywords, and syntax highlighting. Complex queries become easy to understand.

5

Copy and Use

Copy the formatted SQL to your clipboard and paste it into your code editor, database tool, or documentation.

Pro Tips

  • •Use UPPERCASE for SQL keywords for better visibility
  • •Indent subqueries and CTEs for nested query clarity
  • •Format SQL before committing to version control
  • •Minify SQL for production to reduce query string size
  • •Align JOIN conditions for complex multi-table queries
  • •Use consistent formatting across your team's codebase

Benefits

Improve SQL query readability and comprehension
Debug complex queries faster with clear structure
Maintain consistent code style across development teams
Learn SQL best practices through formatted examples
Reduce code review time with standardized formatting
Identify syntax errors more easily in formatted code
Create professional SQL documentation
Optimize queries by understanding structure better

Use Cases

Query Debugging

Format compressed or minified SQL from application logs to quickly identify issues and understand query structure.

Format single-line query from error logs into readable multi-line SQL

Code Review Preparation

Standardize SQL formatting before committing to Git to ensure consistency and readability for team members.

Format all SQL in migration files before pull request

Documentation Creation

Generate clean, professional SQL examples for technical documentation, API guides, or training materials.

Create formatted query examples for database schema documentation

Learning SQL

Study well-formatted SQL queries to understand best practices, proper structure, and readable query organization.

Format example queries from tutorials for better understanding

Performance Analysis

Format complex queries to analyze execution flow, identify optimization opportunities, and understand join relationships.

Format query plan SQL to analyze slow queries

ORM Query Inspection

Format SQL generated by ORMs (like Sequelize, TypeORM, Django ORM) to understand what queries are actually executed.

Format logged ORM queries to verify database operations

Code Examples

Formatted SELECT Query

Well-formatted query with joins and aggregation

sql 
SELECT 
  u.id,
  u.name,
  COUNT(o.id) AS order_count
FROM users u
LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id
WHERE u.active = 1
GROUP BY u.id, u.name
HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5
ORDER BY order_count DESC;

CTE with Subquery

Common Table Expression with proper indentation

sql 
WITH recent_orders AS (
  SELECT user_id, MAX(created_at) AS last_order
  FROM orders
  WHERE created_at > DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 30 DAY)
  GROUP BY user_id
)
SELECT u.*, ro.last_order
FROM users u
INNER JOIN recent_orders ro ON u.id = ro.user_id;

Frequently Asked Questions

1 Why should SQL keywords be in UPPERCASE?
Using UPPERCASE for SQL keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN) is a widely accepted convention that improves readability by visually distinguishing reserved words from table names, column names, and values. This makes queries easier to scan and understand, especially for complex statements. While SQL is case-insensitive for keywords in most databases, consistent formatting helps with code review, debugging, and maintenance. Some teams prefer lowercase keywords for a modern look, but UPPERCASE is the traditional standard and often preferred in enterprise environments.
2 What's the difference between formatting and minifying SQL?
Formatting (beautifying) adds indentation, line breaks, and spacing to make SQL human-readable, ideal for development, debugging, and code review. Minifying removes all unnecessary whitespace and line breaks to create the smallest possible query string, useful for reducing bandwidth in production environments or when SQL is embedded in URLs. Minified SQL is harder to read but more efficient for transmission. Use formatting during development and minification only when size optimization is critical, as modern databases handle whitespace efficiently.
3 Does SQL formatting affect query performance?
No, formatting has zero impact on query performance. Database engines parse and optimize queries regardless of formatting—whitespace, indentation, and keyword capitalization are ignored during execution. The database creates an execution plan based on the logical structure, not the text formatting. However, well-formatted SQL helps developers write better queries by making structure clearer, potentially leading to better-optimized queries through understanding. Minifying SQL saves a tiny amount of network bandwidth but doesn't improve database execution speed.
4 Can SQL formatters handle all SQL dialects?
Most formatters support standard SQL (ANSI SQL) and the major dialects: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle. However, each database has proprietary extensions, functions, and syntax that may not be universally supported. Choose your specific dialect in the formatter settings for best results. Complex dialect-specific features like PostgreSQL's LATERAL joins, SQL Server's CROSS APPLY, or Oracle's CONNECT BY might require dialect-aware formatting. For maximum compatibility, formatters focus on common SQL features shared across databases.
5 How should I format complex nested queries and CTEs?
For complex queries, use consistent indentation levels: indent subqueries one level from their parent, align JOINs with the FROM clause, and place each JOIN condition on a new line. Common Table Expressions (CTEs with WITH clause) should be formatted with each CTE on its own line, indented one level. Window functions should have PARTITION BY and ORDER BY clauses on separate indented lines. The goal is hierarchical readability—anyone should be able to trace the query logic from outer to inner. Most SQL formatters handle this automatically with proper dialect selection.

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