Hints (Transact-SQL)
Applies to:
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Hints are options or strategies specified for enforcement by the SQL Server query processor on SELECT
, INSERT
, UPDATE
, or DELETE
statements. The hints override any execution plan the query optimizer might select for a query.
Caution
Because the SQL Server query optimizer typically selects the best execution plan for a query, we recommend that <join_hint>
, <query_hint>
, and <table_hint>
be used only as a last resort by experienced developers and database administrators.
The following hints are described in this section: