What is a SQL Formatter?
A SQL formatter (also called SQL beautifier or SQL pretty printer) is a tool that automatically restructures SQL code to improve readability and maintain consistent formatting. It properly indents SELECT statements, aligns clauses, standardizes keyword capitalization, and organizes complex queries with JOINs and subqueries. Our online SQL formatter supports 15+ database dialects including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and BigQuery, ensuring your queries follow best practices for your specific database platform.
Why Use Our SQL Formatter?
- Secure & Private: All formatting happens in your browser - no data sent to servers
- 15+ SQL Dialects: Support for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, BigQuery, Redshift, and more
- Syntax Highlighting: Color-coded SQL output with light and dark theme support
- Customizable Formatting: Control indentation, keyword case, spacing, and more
- Instant Formatting: Real-time beautification with one-click copy
- Query Examples: Pre-built examples to learn SQL formatting best practices
- Free & Unlimited: No signup required, no query limits, completely free
Supported SQL Databases
Our SQL formatter supports dialect-specific syntax for the following database systems:
Popular Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle PL/SQL, Microsoft SQL Server (Transact-SQL), SQLite, MariaDB
Cloud Data Warehouses: Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, SingleStoreDB
Big Data & Analytics: Apache Hive, Apache Spark SQL, Trino/Presto, DuckDB
Enterprise Systems: IBM DB2, IBM DB2i, Couchbase N1QL, TiDB
Each database dialect has unique syntax features, keywords, and functions that the formatter recognizes and handles correctly.
SQL Formatting Best Practices
1. Use consistent indentation: Indent nested queries, CASE statements, and conditional logic. Standard is 2 or 4 spaces per level.
2. One clause per line: Put SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN, GROUP BY, HAVING, and ORDER BY on separate lines for clarity.
3. Uppercase keywords: Use UPPER case for SQL keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE) to distinguish them from table and column names.
4. Align related elements: Align column lists, JOIN conditions, and WHERE clauses vertically for better scanability.
5. Use meaningful aliases: Give tables and columns short, descriptive aliases (u for users, o for orders) and use them consistently.
6. Format JOINs clearly: Place each JOIN on its own line with ON conditions indented underneath for complex multi-table queries.
Common SQL Formatting Scenarios
- Complex SELECT Statements: Format queries with multiple columns, aggregates, and CASE expressions
- Multi-Table JOINs: Clean up queries joining 3+ tables with nested conditions
- Subqueries: Properly indent correlated and non-correlated subqueries for clarity
- CTEs (Common Table Expressions): Format WITH clauses and recursive queries
- Window Functions: Organize OVER, PARTITION BY, and ORDER BY clauses
- INSERT/UPDATE Statements: Format bulk inserts and multi-column updates
- Stored Procedures: Beautify PL/SQL, T-SQL, and procedural SQL code
- Legacy SQL: Clean up old, minified, or poorly formatted queries
Understanding Format Options
Language/Dialect: Select your database type (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) to ensure dialect-specific keywords and syntax are handled correctly.
Indentation: Choose 2 spaces (compact), 4 spaces (standard), or tabs. Consistent indentation is crucial for readability in nested queries.
Keyword Case: UPPER (traditional standard), lower (modern style), or preserve (keep original). UPPER case makes keywords stand out.
Data Type Case: Control capitalization of data types like VARCHAR, INTEGER, TIMESTAMP for consistency.
Function Case: Format SQL functions (COUNT, AVG, CONCAT) in UPPER, lower, or preserve original case.
Lines Between Queries: Add blank lines (0-3) between multiple statements in a script for better visual separation.
Dense Operators: Remove spaces around operators (= + -) for more compact output, useful for very long queries.
Semicolon Placement: Place semicolons on their own line or keep them inline with the last clause.
SQL Formatting for Teams
Establish a style guide: Document your team's preferred formatting settings (indentation, keyword case, etc.) and use them consistently across all SQL code.
Code reviews: Formatted SQL makes code reviews faster and more effective. Reviewers can focus on logic rather than fighting inconsistent formatting.
Version control: Consistently formatted SQL produces cleaner git diffs, making it easier to see actual changes versus formatting changes.
Onboarding: New developers can understand existing queries faster when they're consistently formatted and well-organized.
Documentation: Well-formatted SQL serves as self-documenting code, reducing the need for extensive comments.
Performance Considerations
Formatting doesn't affect performance: SQL formatting is purely cosmetic - whitespace, indentation, and keyword case have zero impact on query execution speed or database performance.
But readability helps optimization: Well-formatted queries make it easier to spot inefficiencies like missing indexes, redundant JOINs, or poorly written WHERE clauses.
Debugging is faster: When a query performs poorly, formatted SQL helps you quickly understand the query structure and identify optimization opportunities.
Minification vs formatting: Some systems minify SQL for network transfer, but during development and maintenance, formatted SQL is essential for productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will formatting change how my SQL executes?
No. SQL formatting only changes whitespace, indentation, and capitalization - none of which affect query execution. The database engine parses and executes formatted and unformatted SQL identically.
How do I format SQL with dynamic parameters?
The formatter preserves placeholders like ? (prepared statements), :param (named parameters), and @variable (SQL Server variables). These are treated as literals and formatted in place within your query.
Can I format stored procedures and functions?
Yes, the formatter handles procedural SQL including stored procedures, triggers, and functions for dialects like Oracle PL/SQL and SQL Server T-SQL. Complex control flow (IF/ELSE, loops) is properly indented.
What if my SQL has syntax errors?
If your SQL has major syntax errors, the formatter may not be able to parse and format it correctly. Fix obvious syntax errors first (missing quotes, unmatched parentheses) before formatting.
Should I format SQL in production code?
Yes, especially in application code, migration scripts, and stored procedures. Formatted SQL in your codebase improves maintainability. For transmitted SQL (ORM-generated, API requests), formatting is less critical but still beneficial during development.