Sometimes you do not want to click a button. You just want to paste SQL and see it formatted immediately. That is what auto-formatting does — as soon as you paste or type, the output updates.
This auto SQL formatter uses a debounced input listener to format your query as you work. Paste a query, and by the time your eyes move to the output pane, the formatted version is already there.
The auto-format feature listens for changes in the input textarea. When you paste, type, or modify the SQL, a short debounce timer (about 300ms) starts. If you stop typing, the formatter runs and updates the output pane.
This is different from a 'live preview' that formats on every keystroke — that would be jarring with SQL. The debounce means you can paste a large query and the formatter waits until you are done before formatting.
When you are tweaking a query — change a column, check the format, change a JOIN, check again — auto-format eliminates the click-click-click of manual formatting. You change the SQL, glance at the output, change again.
Copying SQL from logs, dashboards, error messages, and Slack threads — each source has different formatting. Auto-format normalizes everything instantly without you reaching for the button each time.
Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on Mac) formats instantly. When auto-format is not quite fast enough for your workflow — or you want to force a format without waiting for debounce — the shortcut is always available.
Need to see the minified version? The minifier tab is one click away. Auto-format for readability, minify for deployment — both in the same tool.
No. The debounce timer is only 300ms, and formatting takes under 50ms for queries under 500 lines. The total delay is barely perceptible.
Yes. Use the Format button or Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on Mac) at any time for explicit formatting control.
The auto-format is a convenience, not a requirement. If you prefer explicit control, stop typing and use the Format button or Ctrl+Enter instead - nothing is reformatted until you ask for it.
Yes. The dialect selector applies to auto-format exactly as it does to the manual button, so MySQL, PostgreSQL, T-SQL, BigQuery, Snowflake and the other supported dialects are all reformatted with their own keyword rules.
No. Auto-format runs in the same client-side engine as the manual formatter. Your SQL is never uploaded, logged, or stored - the debounce timer and the formatter both live in your browser.