Which SQL dialects are supported?

This generic formatter works well with ANSI SQL (Standard), MySQL, PostgreSQL, and basic Oracle/SQL Server syntax.

Does it validate my SQL?

No, this is purely a formatter. It does not check if table names exist or if syntax is valid for execution.

Free SQL Formatter: Beautify Database Queries Instantly

Writing complex SQL queries often results in a long, unreadable single line of code. Our Free SQL Formatter adds proper indentation, newlines, and capitalization to make your database queries easy to read, debug, and maintain.

Whether you're working with MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or Oracle databases, clean SQL formatting is essential for maintaining code quality and team collaboration. This tool transforms messy, minified SQL into beautifully structured queries that follow industry best practices.

Why SQL Formatting Matters

Imagine debugging a stored procedure with 500 lines of SQL compressed into a single paragraph. Finding a misplaced comma or detecting a missing JOIN condition becomes nearly impossible. Proper SQL formatting is not just about aesthetics—it's about productivity and error prevention.

The Real Cost of Unformatted SQL

Debugging Time: Studies show developers spend 60% more time debugging poorly formatted queries compared to well-structured ones.
Code Reviews: Team members waste hours trying to understand nested subqueries without proper indentation.
Onboarding: New developers struggle to learn database schemas when SQL code is unreadable.
Errors: Syntax mistakes like missing parentheses or incorrect JOIN conditions are hidden in wall-of-text queries.

SQL Formatting Best Practices

Our formatter follows industry-standard conventions used by major tech companies and database administrators worldwide:

1. Keyword Capitalization

SQL keywords like `SELECT`, `FROM`, `WHERE`, `JOIN` should be in UPPERCASE. This immediately distinguishes reserved words from table names and column names, making the query structure visible at a glance.

❌ Bad:

select user_id, name from users where active = 1

✅ Good:

SELECT user_id, name FROM users WHERE active = 1

2. Logical Indentation

Each SQL clause should start on a new line, aligned vertically. Nested subqueries and CASE statements get additional indentation levels (typically 2 or 4 spaces).

SELECT u.user_id, u.email, o.order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN ( SELECT user_id, COUNT(*) as order_count FROM orders GROUP BY user_id ) o ON u.user_id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01'

3. Comma Placement

There are two schools of thought: trailing commas (end of line) and leading commas (start of next line). We use trailing commas as they're more intuitive for most developers and match JSON/JavaScript conventions.

4. JOIN Formatting

JOINs should be indented to show the relationship hierarchy. The ON condition should be on the same line as the JOIN when short, or on the next line when complex.

Common SQL Formatting Scenarios

Scenario 1: Legacy Database Migration

You inherit a 10-year-old application with stored procedures that were minified "for performance" (a myth we'll debunk later). The first step? Format everything to understand what the code actually does.

Scenario 2: ORM-Generated SQL

ORMs like Hibernate, Entity Framework, or SQLAlchemy generate SQL queries automatically. These are often compressed into single lines. When you need to optimize slow queries (check the EXPLAIN plan), formatting them first is essential.

Scenario 3: Client-Side Query Building

Frontend query builders or analytics dashboards often construct SQL dynamically. Before sending to the server, format it for logging purposes so you can debug issues in production.

Scenario 4: Documentation and Training

Creating database documentation or training materials? Well-formatted SQL examples make learning significantly easier for junior developers.

Advanced Formatting: Window Functions and CTEs

Modern SQL includes powerful features like Window Functions (OVER/PARTITION BY) and Common Table Expressions (WITH clauses). These require special formatting attention.

Window Functions

SELECT employee_id, salary, ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( PARTITION BY department_id ORDER BY salary DESC ) as salary_rank FROM employees

Common Table Expressions

CTEs (WITH clauses) act like temporary named result sets. They should be formatted as independent queries before the main SELECT:

WITH high_spenders AS ( SELECT user_id, SUM(amount) as total FROM orders GROUP BY user_id HAVING SUM(amount) > 1000 ) SELECT u.name, hs.total FROM users u INNER JOIN high_spenders hs ON u.user_id = hs.user_id

SQL Minification: When and Why?

Our tool also offers a Minify option. But when would you want to compress SQL instead of beautifying it?

Reducing Network Transfer: When sending SQL over HTTP (rare in 2024, but still used in some REST APIs)
Log File Size: Some applications log every SQL query. Minified SQL takes less disk space.
Obfuscation (weak): Basic deterrent against casual SQL injection attempts (NOT a security measure)

⚠️ Important: Modern databases do NOT execute minified SQL faster. The query parser normalizes whitespace instantly. Minifying for "performance" is a myth from the 1990s.

Supported SQL Dialects

Our formatter uses ANSI SQL standards, which means it works with:

MySQL / MariaDB: Full support for common syntax
PostgreSQL: Including advanced features like LATERAL joins
SQLite: Perfect for mobile app queries
SQL Server (T-SQL): Standard queries format correctly
Oracle (PL/SQL): Basic queries work; specialized Oracle syntax may need manual adjustment

Integration with Development Workflow

Professional teams integrate SQL formatting into their development pipeline:

IDE Extensions

Most IDEs (VSCode, IntelliJ, DataGrip) have SQL formatter plugins. Use our online tool when you need quick formatting without setting up extensions.

Pre-commit Hooks

Teams use tools like sqlfluff to enforce SQL formatting standards before code is committed to Git. This ensures consistency across the team.

Code Review Process

Reviewing SQL changes in pull requests is much faster when both the old and new versions are properly formatted. Reviewers can focus on logic changes instead of fighting with whitespace.

How This Tool Works

Our SQL formatter performs several steps:

Tokenizes the input SQL string into keywords, identifiers, and operators
Identifies SQL clause boundaries (SELECT, FROM, WHERE, etc.)
Applies indentation rules based on nesting depth
Optionally capitalizes keywords based on your preference
Preserves string literals and comments exactly as written

All processing happens client-side in your browser. We never send your SQL queries to our servers, ensuring complete privacy for sensitive database schemas.

Privacy and Security

✅ Your SQL queries are processed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded or stored on our servers.

This makes our tool safe for formatting queries containing sensitive table names, proprietary business logic, or confidential data structures.

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SQL Formatter - Beautify & Minify SQL

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Target Audience

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