SQL Formatter

Format and beautify SQL queries for better readability.

SQL input

Formatted SQL

SELECT U.ID,
  U.NAME,
  U.EMAIL,
  O.TOTAL 
FROM USERS U 
INNER JOIN ORDERS O 
ON U.ID=O.USER_ID 
WHERE U.ACTIVE=1 
AND O.TOTAL>100 
ORDER BY O.TOTAL DESC 
LIMIT 10

Why SQL formatting matters

Unformatted SQL is one of the most common sources of bugs and misunderstandings in software development. A 200-character single-line query is nearly impossible to review, debug, or optimise. Well-formatted SQL with consistent indentation, uppercase keywords, and logical line breaks makes the query structure immediately obvious — joins, conditions, and subqueries become visually distinct sections rather than an undifferentiated string.

SQL formatting conventions

Element	Convention	Reason
Keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE)	UPPERCASE	Visually distinguishes SQL syntax from data and identifiers
Column and table names	lowercase or snake_case	Consistent with most database naming conventions
Each clause on a new line	SELECT / FROM / WHERE / ORDER BY	Makes query structure immediately readable
Indent subqueries	2 or 4 spaces	Shows nesting depth and query logic
Aliases after AS keyword	explicit AS keyword	Clearer than implicit aliases; self-documenting
Line up columns in SELECT	vertically aligned	Easier to scan a long list of columns

Before and after: a real query

BEFORE (unformatted):
select u.id,u.name,u.email,o.total from users u inner join orders o on u.id=o.user_id where u.active=1 and o.total>100 order by o.total desc limit 10

AFTER (formatted):
SELECT
  u.id,
  u.name,
  u.email,
  o.total
FROM users AS u
INNER JOIN orders AS o
  ON u.id = o.user_id
WHERE
  u.active = 1
  AND o.total > 100
ORDER BY o.total DESC
LIMIT 10

SQL dialect differences

While the SQL standard (ANSI SQL) defines core syntax, each database system has its own dialect with extensions and quirks. Formatted SQL from one system may not run unmodified in another. The most common differences affecting formatting and syntax:

String quotes:
  PostgreSQL, MySQL: 'single quotes' for strings
  SQL Server:        N'unicode strings' prefix for Unicode

Limit/offset:
  MySQL, PostgreSQL: LIMIT 10 OFFSET 20
  SQL Server:        TOP 10 ... (or OFFSET/FETCH NEXT in modern versions)
  Oracle:            ROWNUM or FETCH FIRST n ROWS ONLY

Date functions:
  MySQL:  NOW(), DATE_FORMAT()
  SQL Server: GETDATE(), FORMAT()
  PostgreSQL: NOW(), TO_CHAR()

Frequently asked questions

Does formatting change my query results?

No. Formatting only adds indentation and line breaks for readability — the SQL logic and the results it returns are completely unchanged.

Which SQL dialects does this support?

It works with the standard SQL used by MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite and others. Dialect-specific syntax is preserved as written.

Is my SQL sent to a server?

No. Formatting runs entirely in your browser, so your queries and any data in them stay private on your device.

Why bother formatting SQL at all?

Readable, consistently indented SQL is far easier to review, debug and maintain, and it reduces mistakes in complex joins, subqueries and long WHERE clauses.