What Is SQL Formatting?
SQL formatting means applying consistent indentation, line breaks, and keyword casing to a query so it's easy for a human to read. The database engine itself ignores whitespace — every formatting choice exists purely for the people reading, reviewing, and debugging the query later. A well-formatted query is faster to scan in code review, simpler to diff in version control, and less error-prone to extend.
Supported SQL Dialects
- Standard SQL — the ANSI standard, a safe default for most databases.
- PostgreSQL — use for Postgres-specific syntax like
ILIKE, array operators, and::casts. - MySQL — use for backtick-quoted identifiers and MySQL
LIMITsyntax. - T-SQL (SQL Server) — includes
TOP,CROSS APPLY, and square-bracket identifiers. - SQLite — the lightweight embedded database; great for mobile and local tooling.
- BigQuery— Google's data warehouse; supports
STRUCT,UNNEST, and backtick project references. - Amazon Redshift — PostgreSQL-derived with Redshift extensions for warehouse workloads.
- MariaDB — MySQL-compatible with extra features and stricter modes.
- PL/SQL (Oracle)— Oracle's procedural SQL for stored procedures and packages.
How to Format SQL Queries
- Paste your SQL into the left panel (or click Sample to try it).
- Pick your dialect, indent size, and keyword casing — the output re-formats instantly.
- Hit Copy to grab the result. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
SQL Formatting Best Practices
- Uppercase keywords like
SELECT,FROM, andWHERE— the most common convention across teams. - One clause per line — each
JOIN, eachAND/ORon its own line. - Pick one indent width (2 or 4 spaces) and stick with it across the codebase.
- Align column lists vertically when there are more than a few of them.
- Separate multiple statements with a blank line so a code review can tell where one query ends and the next begins.
Privacy & Security
Your SQL never leaves your browser. CodeScrub runs entirely client-side — no queries are sent to any server, stored, or logged.