SQL Format + Explain
Format a SQL query and break it down into plain-English clause-by-clause annotations. Identifies SELECT/FROM/JOIN/WHERE/GROUP BY/HAVING/ORDER BY/LIMIT, aggregates, joins, CTEs, and statement type.
About SQL Format + Explain
Paste a SQL query and get back a pretty-printed version along with a clause-by-clause plain-English breakdown. Each clause — SELECT, FROM, JOIN, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY, LIMIT, and the rest — is identified with its body and a one-line explanation of what it does. Useful for code review, onboarding new engineers, explaining queries to non-DBAs, or auditing a query you inherited. Runs entirely in your browser; no upload, no LLM.
- Category
- dev
- Input
- Accepts: text/plain or application/sql.
- Output
- Outputs: application/json.
- Cost
- Free, runs in your browser
- Memory
- low
Common uses
- Document a complex query in a PR description without writing the prose yourself.
- Explain a join-heavy report to a stakeholder who doesn't speak SQL.
- Audit unfamiliar SQL — see at a glance what every clause is doing.
- Detect features (aggregates, joins, grouping, sorting, limiting) in a single pass.
- Format SQL pasted from a screenshot or chat that lost its whitespace.
Frequently asked questions
Which SQL dialects does it support?
Standard SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and BigQuery — selectable via the Dialect parameter. Dialect mainly affects formatting (e.g., backtick vs. quoted identifiers); the clause-by-clause breakdown is the same across dialects.
Does it run my query?
No. The tool only parses and explains the query — it never executes it. Safe to paste production SQL.
Is the query sent anywhere?
No. The entire format and explanation happens client-side. You can disconnect your network and it still works.
Will it explain a CTE-led query?
Yes — the tool detects `WITH` and names the defined CTEs in the explanation. The body of each CTE is treated as a sub-query and gets its own clause breakdown when expanded.
Keywords
- sql
- explain
- format
- annotate
- query
- database
- breakdown