🗃 SQL Formatter & Beautifier
Format, beautify, and minify SQL queries with syntax highlighting. Queries are handled by the page itself, not by a server.
Last updated: May 18, 2026 · By Λ
Free SQL Formatter & Beautifier
Format and beautify messy SQL queries into clean, readable code with proper indentation and keyword uppercasing. Minify SQL into a single line for compact storage. Supports SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, and more. Features syntax highlighting with color-coded keywords, strings, numbers, and comments. The formatter does its work with local JavaScript, so nothing you paste travels beyond your machine.
What is a SQL Formatter?
A SQL formatter is a tool that takes messy, hard-to-read SQL queries and restructures them with proper indentation, line breaks, and consistent keyword casing. SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for interacting with relational databases, and queries can quickly become difficult to understand when written as single-line statements or with inconsistent formatting. A formatter transforms these into clean, readable code that is easier to review, debug, and maintain.
This free online SQL formatter handles SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, and many other statement types. It includes syntax highlighting with color-coded keywords, strings, numbers, comments, and operators. You can also minify SQL into a compact single-line format for use in application code or API queries. Because parsing stays on the client, your database queries and schema definitions are never transmitted to any server.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste your SQL query into the input text area. The tool accepts any valid SQL including complex joins, subqueries, CASE expressions, and CTEs (Common Table Expressions).
- Choose your formatting preferences: select the indentation style (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tab) and keyword casing (UPPERCASE, lowercase, or preserve original).
- Click "Format / Beautify" to see the formatted output with syntax highlighting and line numbers. Or click "Minify" to compress the query into a single line with comments removed.
- Click "Copy Output" to copy the formatted SQL to your clipboard, ready to paste into your code editor, database client, or documentation.
Key Features
- Smart Indentation - Automatically indents continuation keywords (AND, OR), JOIN conditions, CASE/WHEN blocks, and subqueries at the appropriate nesting level.
- Syntax Highlighting - Color-codes SQL keywords, function names, string literals, numbers, comments, operators, and parentheses for quick visual scanning.
- Keyword Case Control - Choose UPPERCASE for traditional SQL style, lowercase for a modern look, or preserve the original casing from your input.
- Minification Mode - Compress queries into a single line with comments stripped, useful for embedding SQL in application code or reducing payload size.
- Line Numbers - Formatted output includes line numbers for easy reference when discussing specific parts of a query with teammates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which SQL dialects are supported?
The formatter supports standard ANSI SQL syntax and works well with MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite, and Oracle queries. It recognizes common keywords, functions, and clauses from all major database systems. While dialect-specific features like PostgreSQL arrays or SQL Server's TOP clause are handled correctly, highly specialized syntax may require minor manual adjustments.
Does formatting change the behavior of my SQL query?
No. Formatting only affects whitespace, line breaks, and keyword casing. The logical structure and execution behavior of your query remain exactly the same. The database engine ignores whitespace and treats uppercase and lowercase keywords identically, so a formatted query produces the same results as the original.
What happens to comments when I minify SQL?
Comments (both single-line and block comments) are stripped during minification to produce the most compact output possible. If you need to preserve comments, use the format/beautify mode instead, which keeps all comments in their original positions within the formatted output.
Can I format multiple SQL statements at once?
Yes. Separate your statements with semicolons, and the formatter will handle each one individually. Each statement starts on a new line with proper indentation reset, making it easy to format entire migration scripts or stored procedure bodies in a single pass.