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sqlcmd utility

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Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

The sqlcmd utility lets you enter Transact-SQL statements, system procedures, and script files through various modes:

  • At the command prompt.
  • In Query Editor in SQLCMD mode.
  • In a Windows script file.
  • In an operating system (cmd.exe) job step of a SQL Server Agent job.

Note

While Microsoft Entra ID is the new name for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), to prevent disrupting existing environments, Azure AD still remains in some hardcoded elements such as UI fields, connection providers, error codes, and cmdlets. In this article, the two names are interchangeable.

Find out which version you have installed

There are two versions of sqlcmd:

  • The go-mssqldb-based sqlcmd, sometimes styled as go-sqlcmd. This version is a standalone tool you can download independently of SQL Server.

  • The ODBC-based sqlcmd, available with SQL Server or the Microsoft Command Line Utilities, and part of the mssql-tools package on Linux.

To determine the version you have installed, run the following statement at the command line:

sqlcmd "-?"

sqlcmd "-?"

sqlcmd -?

If you're using the new version of sqlcmd (Go), the output is similar to the following example:

Version: 1.3.1

Check version

You can use sqlcmd --version to determine which version is installed. You should have at least version 1.0.0 installed.

Important

Installing sqlcmd (Go) via a package manager will replace sqlcmd (ODBC) with sqlcmd (Go) in your environment path. Any current command line sessions will need to be closed and reopened for this take to effect. sqlcmd (ODBC) won't be removed and can still be used by specifying the full path to the executable. You can also update your PATH variable to indicate which will take precedence. To do so in Windows 11, open System settings and go to About > Advanced system settings. When System Properties opens, select the Environment Variables button. In the lower half, under System variables, select Path and then select Edit. If the location sqlcmd (Go) is saved to (C:\Program Files\sqlcmd is default) is listed before C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\<version>\Tools\Binn, then sqlcmd (Go) is used. You can reverse the order to make sqlcmd (ODBC) the default again.

Download and install sqlcmd

sqlcmd (Go) can be installed cross-platform, on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Versions newer than 1.6 might not be available in all package managers. There's no estimated date yet for their availability.

winget (Windows Package Manager CLI)

  1. Install the Windows Package Manager Client if you don't already have it.

  2. Run the following command to install sqlcmd (Go).

    winget install sqlcmd

Chocolatey

  1. Install Chocolatey if you don't already have it.

  2. Run the following command to install sqlcmd (Go).

    choco install sqlcmd

Direct download

  1. Download the corresponding -windows-amd64.zip or -windows-arm.zip asset from the latest release of sqlcmd (Go) from the GitHub code repository.

  2. Extract the sqlcmd.exe file from the downloaded zip folder.

Preinstalled

Azure Cloud Shell

You can try the sqlcmd utility from Azure Cloud Shell, as it's preinstalled by default:

Azure Data Studio

To run SQLCMD statements in Azure Data Studio, select Enable SQLCMD from the editor toolbar.

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

To run SQLCMD statements in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), select SQLCMD Mode from the top navigation Query Menu dropdown list.

SSMS uses the Microsoft .NET Framework SqlClient for execution in regular and SQLCMD mode in Query Editor. When sqlcmd is run from the command-line, sqlcmd uses the ODBC driver. Because different default options may apply, you might see different behavior when you execute the same query in SSMS in SQLCMD Mode and in the sqlcmd utility.

Syntax

Usage:
  sqlcmd [flags]
  sqlcmd [command]

Examples:
# Install/Create, Query, Uninstall SQL Server
  sqlcmd create mssql --accept-eula --using https://aka.ms/AdventureWorksLT.bak
  sqlcmd open ads
  sqlcmd query "SELECT @@version"
  sqlcmd delete
# View configuration information and connection strings
  sqlcmd config view
  sqlcmd config cs

Available Commands:
  completion  Generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell
  config      Modify sqlconfig files using subcommands like "sqlcmd config use-context mssql"
  create      Install/Create SQL Server, Azure SQL, and Tools
  delete      Uninstall/Delete the current context
  help        Help about any command
  open        Open tools (e.g ADS) for current context
  query       Run a query against the current context
  start       Start current context
  stop        Stop current context

Flags:
  -?, --?                  help for backwards compatibility flags (-S, -U, -E etc.)
  -h, --help               help for sqlcmd
      --sqlconfig string   configuration file (default "/Users/<currentUser>/.sqlcmd/sqlconfig")
      --verbosity int      log level, error=0, warn=1, info=2, debug=3, trace=4 (default 2)
      --version            print version of sqlcmd

Use "sqlcmd [command] --help" for more information about a command.

For more in-depth information on sqlcmd syntax and use, see ODBC sqlcmd syntax.

Breaking changes from sqlcmd (ODBC)

Several switches and behaviors are altered in the sqlcmd (Go) utility. For the most up-to-date list of missing flags for backward compatibility, visit the Prioritize implementation of back-compat flags GitHub discussion.

  • In earlier versions of sqlcmd (Go), the -P switch was temporarily removed, and passwords for SQL Server Authentication could only be provided through these mechanisms:

    • The SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable
    • The :CONNECT command
    • When prompted, the user could type the password to complete a connection

  • -r requires a 0 or 1 argument

  • -R switch is removed.

  • -I switch is removed. To disable quoted identifier behavior, add SET QUOTED IDENTIFIER OFF in your scripts.

  • -N now takes a string value that can be one of true, false, or disable to specify the encryption choice. (default is the same as omitting the parameter)

    • If -N and -C aren't provided, sqlcmd negotiates authentication with the server without validating the server certificate.
    • If -N is provided but -C isn't, sqlcmd requires validation of the server certificate. A false value for encryption could still lead to the encryption of the login packet.
    • If both -N and -C are provided, sqlcmd uses their values for encryption negotiation.
    • More information about client/server encryption negotiation can be found at MS-TDS PRELOGIN.

  • -u The generated Unicode output file has the UTF-16 Little-Endian Byte-order mark (BOM) written to it.

  • Some behaviors that were kept to maintain compatibility with OSQL may be changed, such as alignment of column headers for some data types.

  • All commands must fit on one line, even EXIT. Interactive mode doesn't check for open parentheses or quotes for commands, and doesn't prompt for successive lines. This behavior is different to the ODBC version, which allows the query run by EXIT(query) to span multiple lines.

Connections from the sqlcmd (Go) utility are limited to TCP connections. Named pipes aren't supported at this time in the go-mssqldb driver.

Enhancements

  • :Connect now has an optional -G parameter to select one of the authentication methods for Azure SQL Database - SqlAuthentication, ActiveDirectoryDefault, ActiveDirectoryIntegrated, ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipal, ActiveDirectoryManagedIdentity, ActiveDirectoryPassword. For more information, see Microsoft Entra authentication. If -G isn't provided, Integrated security or SQL Server authentication is used, depending on the presence of a -U user name parameter.

  • The new --driver-logging-level command line parameter allows you to see traces from the go-mssqldb driver. Use 64 to see all traces.

  • sqlcmd can now print results using a vertical format. Use the new -F vertical command line switch to set it. The SQLCMDFORMAT scripting variable also controls it.

Command-line options

-A

Signs in to SQL Server with a dedicated administrator connection (DAC). This kind of connection is used to troubleshoot a server. This connection works only with server computers that support DAC. If DAC isn't available, sqlcmd generates an error message, and then exits. For more information about DAC, see Diagnostic Connection for Database Administrators. The -A option isn't supported with the -G option. When connecting to Azure SQL Database using -A, you must be an administrator on the logical SQL server. DAC isn't available for a Microsoft Entra administrator.

-C

This option is used by the client to configure it to implicitly trust the server certificate without validation. This option is equivalent to the ADO.NET option TRUSTSERVERCERTIFICATE = true.

For the sqlcmd (Go) utility, the following conditions also apply:

  • If -N and -C aren't provided, sqlcmd negotiates authentication with the server without validating the server certificate.
  • If -N is provided but -C isn't, sqlcmd requires validation of the server certificate. A false value for encryption could still lead to the encryption of the login packet.
  • If both -N and -C are provided, sqlcmd uses their values for encryption negotiation.

-d db_name

Issues a USE <db_name> statement when you start sqlcmd. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDDBNAME. This parameter specifies the initial database. The default is your login's default-database property. If the database doesn't exist, an error message is generated and sqlcmd exits.

-D

Interprets the server name provided to -S as a DSN instead of a hostname. For more information, see DSN support in sqlcmd and bcp in Connecting with sqlcmd.

Note

The -D option is only available on Linux and macOS clients. On Windows clients, it previously referred to a now-obsolete option which has been removed and is ignored.

-l login_timeout

Specifies the number of seconds before a sqlcmd login to the ODBC driver times out when you try to connect to a server. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDLOGINTIMEOUT. The default time-out for login to sqlcmd is 8 seconds. When using the -G option to connect to Azure SQL Database or Azure Synapse Analytics and authenticate using Microsoft Entra ID, a timeout value of at least 30 seconds is recommended. The login time-out must be a number between 0 and 65534. If the value supplied isn't numeric, or doesn't fall into that range, sqlcmd generates an error message. A value of 0 specifies time-out to be infinite.

-E

Uses a trusted connection instead of using a user name and password to sign in to SQL Server. By default, without -E specified, sqlcmd uses the trusted connection option.

The -E option ignores possible user name and password environment variable settings such as SQLCMDPASSWORD. If the -E option is used together with the -U option or the -P option, an error message is generated.

-g

Sets the Column Encryption setting to Enabled. For more information, see Always Encrypted. Only master keys stored in Windows Certificate Store are supported. The -g option requires at least sqlcmd version 13.1. To determine your version, execute sqlcmd -?.

-G

This option is used by the client when connecting to Azure SQL Database or Azure Synapse Analytics to specify that the user be authenticated using Microsoft Entra authentication. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDUSEAAD = true. The -G option requires at least sqlcmd version 13.1. To determine your version, execute sqlcmd -?. For more information, see Connecting to SQL Database or Azure Synapse Analytics By Using Microsoft Entra authentication. The -A option isn't supported with the -G option.

The -G option only applies to Azure SQL Database and Azure Synapse Analytics.

Microsoft Entra interactive authentication isn't currently supported on Linux or macOS. Microsoft Entra integrated authentication requires Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server version 17.6.1 or higher and a properly Configured Kerberos environment.

For more information about Microsoft Entra authentication, see Microsoft Entra authentication in sqlcmd.

-H workstation_name

A workstation name. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDWORKSTATION. The workstation name is listed in the hostname column of the sys.sysprocesses catalog view, and can be returned using the stored procedure sp_who. If this option isn't specified, the default is the current computer name. This name can be used to identify different sqlcmd sessions.

-j

Prints raw error messages to the screen.

-K application_intent

Declares the application workload type when connecting to a server. The only currently supported value is ReadOnly. If -K isn't specified, sqlcmd doesn't support connectivity to a secondary replica in an availability group. For more information, see Active Secondaries: Readable Secondary Replica (Always On Availability Groups).

-M multisubnet_failover

Always specify -M when connecting to the availability group listener of a SQL Server availability group or a SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance. -M provides for faster detection of and connection to the (currently) active server. If -M isn't specified, -M is off. For more information about Listeners, Client Connectivity, Application Failover, Creation and Configuration of Availability Groups (SQL Server), Failover Clustering and Always On Availability Groups (SQL Server), and Active Secondaries: Readable Secondary Replicas(Always On Availability Groups).

-N

This option is used by the client to request an encrypted connection.

For the sqlcmd (Go) utility, -N now takes a string value that can be one of true, false, or disable to specify the encryption choice. (default is the same as omitting the parameter):

  • If -N and -C aren't provided, sqlcmd negotiates authentication with the server without validating the server certificate.
  • If -N is provided but -C isn't, sqlcmd requires validation of the server certificate. A false value for encryption could still lead to the encryption of the login packet.
  • If both -N and -C are provided, sqlcmd uses their values for encryption negotiation.

-P password

A user-specified password. Passwords are case-sensitive. If the -U option is used and the -P option isn't used, and the SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable hasn't been set, sqlcmd prompts the user for a password. We don't recommend the use of a null (blank) password, but you can specify the null password by using a pair of contiguous double-quotation marks for the parameter value ("").

Important

Using -P should be considered insecure. Avoid giving the password on the command line. Alternatively, use the SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable, or interactively input the password by omitting the -P option.

We recommend that you use a strong password.

The password prompt is displayed by printing the password prompt to the console, as follows: Password:

User input is hidden. This means that nothing is displayed and the cursor stays in position.

The SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable lets you set a default password for the current session. Therefore, passwords don't have to be hard-coded into batch files. The following example first sets the SQLCMDPASSWORD variable at the command prompt and then accesses the sqlcmd utility.

At the command prompt, type:

SET SQLCMDPASSWORD=p@a$$w0rd
sqlcmd

SET SQLCMDPASSWORD=p@a$$w0rd
sqlcmd

SET SQLCMDPASSWORD=p@a$$w0rd
sqlcmd

If the user name and password combination is incorrect, an error message is generated.

Note

The OSQLPASSWORD environment variable has been kept for backward compatibility. The SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable takes precedence over the OSQLPASSWORD environment variable. This means that sqlcmd and osql can be used next to each other without interference. Old scripts will continue to work.

If the -P option is used with the -E option, an error message is generated.

If the -P option is followed by more than one argument, an error message is generated and the program exits.

A password containing special characters can generate an error message. You should escape special characters when using -P, or use the SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variable instead.

-S [protocol:]server[\instance_name][,port]

Specifies the instance of SQL Server to which to connect. It sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDSERVER.

Specify server_name to connect to the default instance of SQL Server on that server computer. Specify server_name[\instance_name] to connect to a named instance of SQL Server on that server computer. If no server computer is specified, sqlcmd connects to the default instance of SQL Server on the local computer. This option is required when you execute sqlcmd from a remote computer on the network.

protocol can be tcp (TCP/IP), lpc (shared memory), or np (named pipes).

If you don't specify a server_name[\instance_name] when you start sqlcmd, SQL Server checks for and uses the SQLCMDSERVER environment variable.

Note

The OSQLSERVER environment variable has been kept for backward compatibility. The SQLCMDSERVER environment variable takes precedence over the OSQLSERVER environment variable. This means that sqlcmd and osql can be used next to each other without interference. Old scripts will continue to work.

-U login_id

The login name or contained database user name. For contained database users, you must provide the database name option (-d).

Note

The OSQLUSER environment variable has been kept for backward compatibility. The SQLCMDUSER environment variable takes precedence over the OSQLUSER environment variable. This means that sqlcmd and osql can be used next to each other without interference. Old scripts will continue to work.

If you don't specify either the -U option or the -P option, sqlcmd tries to connect by using Windows Authentication mode. Authentication is based on the Windows account of the user who is running sqlcmd.

If the -U option is used with the -E option (described later in this article), an error message is generated. If the -U option is followed by more than one argument, an error message is generated and the program exits.

-z new_password

Change the password:

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

-Z new_password

Change the password and exit:

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -Z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -Z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

sqlcmd -U someuser -P s0mep@ssword -Z a_new_p@a$$w0rd

Input/output options

-f codepage | i:codepage[,o:codepage] | o:codepage[,i:codepage]

Specifies the input and output code pages. The codepage number is a numeric value that specifies an installed Windows code page.

Code-page conversion rules:

  • If no code pages are specified, sqlcmd uses the current code page for both input and output files, unless the input file is a Unicode file, in which case no conversion is required.

  • sqlcmd automatically recognizes both big-endian and little-endian Unicode input files. If the -u option has been specified, the output is always little-endian Unicode.

  • If no output file is specified, the output code page is the console code page. This approach enables the output to be displayed correctly on the console.

  • Multiple input files are assumed to be of the same code page. Unicode and non-Unicode input files can be mixed.

Enter chcp at the command prompt to verify the code page of cmd.exe.

-i input_file[,input_file2...]

Identifies the file that contains a batch of Transact-SQL statements or stored procedures. Multiple files may be specified that are read and processed in order. Don't use any spaces between file names. sqlcmd checks first to see whether all the specified files exist. If one or more files don't exist, sqlcmd exits. The -i and the -Q/-q options are mutually exclusive.

Path examples:

-i C:\<filename>
-i \\<Server>\<Share$>\<filename>
-i "C:\Some Folder\<file name>"

File paths that contain spaces must be enclosed in quotation marks.

This option may be used more than once:

sqlcmd -i <input_file1> -i <input_file2>

sqlcmd -i <input_file1> -i <input_file2>

sqlcmd -i <input_file1> -i <input_file2>

-o output_file

Identifies the file that receives output from sqlcmd.

If -u is specified, the output_file is stored in Unicode format. If the file name isn't valid, an error message is generated, and sqlcmd exits. sqlcmd doesn't support concurrent writing of multiple sqlcmd processes to the same file. The file output is corrupted or incorrect. The -f option is also relevant to file formats. This file is created if it doesn't exist. A file of the same name from a prior sqlcmd session is overwritten. The file specified here isn't the stdout file. If a stdout file is specified, this file isn't used.

Path examples:

-o C:< filename>
-o \\<Server>\<Share$>\<filename>
-o "C:\Some Folder\<file name>"

File paths that contain spaces must be enclosed in quotation marks.

-r[0 | 1]

Redirects the error message output to the screen (stderr). If you don't specify a parameter or if you specify 0, only error messages that have a severity level of 11 or higher are redirected. If you specify 1, all error message output including PRINT is redirected. This option has no effect if you use -o. By default, messages are sent to stdout.

Note

For the sqlcmd (Go) utility, -r requires a 0 or 1 argument.

-R

Applies to: ODBC sqlcmd only.

Causes sqlcmd to localize numeric, currency, date, and time columns retrieved from SQL Server based on the client's locale. By default, these columns are displayed using the server's regional settings.

-u

Specifies that output_file is stored in Unicode format, regardless of the format of input_file.

Note

For the sqlcmd (Go) utility, the generated Unicode output file has the UTF-16 Little-Endian Byte-order mark (BOM) written to it.

Query execution options

-e

Writes input scripts to the standard output device (stdout).

-I

Applies to: ODBC sqlcmd only.

Sets the SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER connection option to ON. By default, it's set to OFF. For more information, see SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER (Transact-SQL).

Note

To disable quoted identifier behavior in the sqlcmd (Go) utility, add SET QUOTED IDENTIFIER OFF in your scripts.

-q "cmdline query"

Executes a query when sqlcmd starts, but doesn't exit sqlcmd when the query has finished running. Multiple-semicolon-delimited queries can be executed. Use quotation marks around the query, as shown in the following example.

At the command prompt, type:

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

Important

Don't use the GO terminator in the query.

If -b is specified together with this option, sqlcmd exits on error. -b is described elsewhere in this article.

-Q "cmdline query"

Executes a query when sqlcmd starts and then immediately exits sqlcmd. Multiple-semicolon-delimited queries can be executed.

Use quotation marks around the query, as shown in the following example.

At the command prompt, type:

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName LIKE 'Whi%';"

sqlcmd -d AdventureWorks2022 -Q "SELECT TOP 5 FirstName FROM Person.Person;SELECT TOP 5 LastName FROM Person.Person;"

Important

Don't use the GO terminator in the query.

If -b is specified together with this option, sqlcmd exits on error. -b is described elsewhere in this article.

-t query_timeout

Specifies the number of seconds before a command (or Transact-SQL statement) times out. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDSTATTIMEOUT. If a query_timeout value isn't specified, the command doesn't time out. The query_timeout must be a number between 1 and 65534. If the value supplied isn't numeric or doesn't fall into that range, sqlcmd generates an error message.

Note

The actual time out value may vary from the specified query_timeout value by several seconds.

-v var = value [ var = value... ]

Creates a sqlcmd scripting variable that can be used in a sqlcmd script. Enclose the value in quotation marks if the value contains spaces. You can specify multiple <var>="<value>" values. If there are errors in any of the values specified, sqlcmd generates an error message and then exits.

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something MyVar2="some thing"

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something -v MyVar2="some thing"

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something MyVar2="some thing"

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something -v MyVar2="some thing"

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something MyVar2="some thing"

sqlcmd -v MyVar1=something -v MyVar2="some thing"

-x

Causes sqlcmd to ignore scripting variables. This parameter is useful when a script contains many INSERT statements that may contain strings that have the same format as regular variables, such as $(<variable_name>).

Format options

-h headers

Specifies the number of rows to print between the column headings. The default is to print headings one time for each set of query results. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDHEADERS. Use -1 to specify that headers not be printed. Any value that isn't valid causes sqlcmd to generate an error message and then exit.

-k [1 | 2]

Removes all control characters, such as tabs and new line characters from the output. This parameter preserves column formatting when data is returned.

  • -k removes control characters.
  • -k1 replaces each control character with a space.
  • -k2 replaces consecutive control characters with a single space.

-s col_separator

Specifies the column-separator character. The default is a blank space. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDCOLSEP. To use characters that have special meaning to the operating system, such as the ampersand (&) or semicolon (;), enclose the character in quotation marks ("). The column separator can be any 8-bit character.

-w screen_width

Specifies the screen width for output. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDCOLWIDTH. The column width must be a number greater than 8 and less than 65536. If the specified column width doesn't fall into that range, sqlcmd generates an error message. The default width is 80 characters. When an output line exceeds the specified column width, it wraps on to the next line.

-W

This option removes trailing spaces from a column. Use this option together with the -s option when preparing data that is to be exported to another application. Can't be used with the -y or -Y options.

-y variable_length_type_display_width

Sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDMAXVARTYPEWIDTH. The default is 256. It limits the number of characters that are returned for the large variable length data types:

  • varchar(max)
  • nvarchar(max)
  • varbinary(max)
  • xml
  • user-defined data types (UDTs)
  • text
  • ntext
  • image

UDTs can be of fixed length depending on the implementation. If this length of a fixed length UDT is shorter that display_width, the value of the UDT returned isn't affected. However, if the length is longer than display_width, the output is truncated.

Caution

Use the -y 0 option with extreme caution, because it may cause significant performance issues on both the server and the network, depending on the size of data returned.

-Y fixed_length_type_display_width

Sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDMAXFIXEDTYPEWIDTH. The default is 0 (unlimited). Limits the number of characters that are returned for the following data types:

  • char(n), where 1 <= n <= 8000
  • nchar(n), where 1 <= n <= 4000
  • varchar(n), where 1 <= n <= 8000
  • nvarchar(n), where 1 <= n <= 4000
  • varbinary(n), where 1 <= n <= 4000
  • sql_variant

Error reporting options

-b

Specifies that sqlcmd exits and returns a DOS ERRORLEVEL value when an error occurs. The value that is returned to the ERRORLEVEL variable is 1 when the SQL Server error message has a severity level greater than 10; otherwise, the value returned is 0. If the -V option has been set in addition to -b, sqlcmd doesn't report an error if the severity level is lower than the values set using -V. Command prompt batch files can test the value of ERRORLEVEL and handle the error appropriately. sqlcmd doesn't report errors for severity level 10 (informational messages).

If the sqlcmd script contains an incorrect comment, syntax error, or is missing a scripting variable, the ERRORLEVEL returned is 1.

-m error_level

Controls which error messages are sent to stdout. Messages that have a severity level greater than or equal to this level are sent. When this value is set to -1, all messages including informational messages, are sent. Spaces aren't allowed between the -m and -1. For example, -m-1 is valid, and -m -1 isn't.

This option also sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDERRORLEVEL. This variable has a default of 0.

-V error_severity_level

Controls the severity level that is used to set the ERRORLEVEL variable. Error messages that have severity levels greater than or equal to this value set ERRORLEVEL. Values that are less than 0 are reported as 0. Batch and CMD files can be used to test the value of the ERRORLEVEL variable.

Miscellaneous options

-a packet_size

Requests a packet of a different size. This option sets the sqlcmd scripting variable SQLCMDPACKETSIZE. packet_size must be a value between 512 and 32767. The default is 4096. A larger packet size can enhance performance for execution of scripts that have lots of Transact-SQL statements between GO commands. You can request a larger packet size. However, if the request is denied, sqlcmd uses the server default for packet size.

-c batch_terminator

Specifies the batch terminator. By default, commands are terminated and sent to SQL Server by typing the word GO on a line by itself. When you reset the batch terminator, don't use Transact-SQL reserved keywords or characters that have special meaning to the operating system, even if they're preceded by a backslash.

-L[c]

Lists the locally configured server computers, and the names of the server computers that are broadcasting on the network. This parameter can't be used in combination with other parameters. The maximum number of server computers that can be listed is 3000. If the server list is truncated because of the size of the buffer a warning message is displayed.

Note

Because of the nature of broadcasting on networks, sqlcmd may not receive a timely response from all servers. Therefore, the list of servers returned may vary for each invocation of this option.

If the optional parameter c is specified, the output appears without the Servers: header line, and each server line is listed without leading spaces. This presentation is referred to as clean output. Clean output improves the processing performance of scripting languages.

-p[1]

Prints performance statistics for every result set. The following display is an example of the format for performance statistics:

Network packet size (bytes): n

x xact[s]:

Clock Time (ms.): total       t1  avg       t2 (t3 xacts per sec.)

Where:

  • x = Number of transactions that are processed by SQL Server.
  • t1 = Total time for all transactions.
  • t2 = Average time for a single transaction.
  • t3 = Average number of transactions per second.

All times are in milliseconds.

If the optional parameter 1 is specified, the output format of the statistics is in colon-separated format that can be imported easily into a spreadsheet or processed by a script.

If the optional parameter is any value other than 1, an error is generated and sqlcmd exits.

-X[1]

Disables commands that might compromise system security when sqlcmd is executed from a batch file. The disabled commands are still recognized; sqlcmd issues a warning message and continues. If the optional parameter 1 is specified, sqlcmd generates an error message and then exits. The following commands are disabled when the -X option is used:

  • ED
  • !! command

If the -X option is specified, it prevents environment variables from being passed on to sqlcmd. It also prevents the startup script specified by using the SQLCMDINI scripting variable from being executed. For more information about sqlcmd scripting variables, see sqlcmd - Use with scripting variables.

-?

Displays the version of sqlcmd and a syntax summary of sqlcmd options.

Note

On macOS, run sqlcmd '-?' (with quotation marks) instead.

Remarks

Options don't have to be used in the order shown in the syntax section.

When multiple results are returned, sqlcmd prints a blank line between each result set in a batch. In addition, the <x> rows affected message doesn't appear when it doesn't apply to the statement executed.

To use sqlcmd interactively, type sqlcmd at the command prompt with any one or more of the options described earlier in this article. For more information, see Use the sqlcmd Utility

Note

The options -l, -Q, -Z or -i cause sqlcmd to exit after execution.

The total length of the sqlcmd command-line in the command environment (for example cmd.exe or bash), including all arguments and expanded variables, is determined by the underlying operating system.

Variable precedence (low to high)

  1. System-level environmental variables
  2. User-level environmental variables
  3. Command shell (SET X=Y) set at command prompt before running sqlcmd
  4. sqlcmd -v X=Y
  5. :Setvar X Y

Note

To view the environmental variables, in Control Panel, open System, and then select the Advanced tab.

sqlcmd scripting variables

Variable Related option R/W Default
SQLCMDUSER -U R ""
SQLCMDPASSWORD -P -- ""
SQLCMDSERVER -S R "DefaultLocalInstance"
SQLCMDWORKSTATION -H R "ComputerName"
SQLCMDDBNAME -d R ""
SQLCMDLOGINTIMEOUT -l R/W "8" (seconds)
SQLCMDSTATTIMEOUT -t R/W "0" = wait indefinitely
SQLCMDHEADERS -h R/W "0"
SQLCMDCOLSEP -s R/W " "
SQLCMDCOLWIDTH -w R/W "0"
SQLCMDPACKETSIZE -a R "4096"
SQLCMDERRORLEVEL -m R/W 0
SQLCMDMAXVARTYPEWIDTH -y R/W "256"
SQLCMDMAXFIXEDTYPEWIDTH -Y R/W "0" = unlimited
SQLCMDEDITOR R/W "edit.com"
SQLCMDINI R ""
SQLCMDUSEAAD -G R/W ""

SQLCMDUSER, SQLCMDPASSWORD, and SQLCMDSERVER are set when :Connect is used.

R indicates the value can only be set one time during program initialization.

R/W indicates that the value can be modified by using the :setvar command and subsequent commands are influenced by the new value.

sqlcmd commands

In addition to Transact-SQL statements within sqlcmd, the following commands are also available:

GO [ count ]

:List

[:]RESET

:Error

[:]ED

:Out

[:]!!

:Perftrace

[:]QUIT

:Connect

[:]EXIT

:On Error

:r

:Help

:ServerList

:XML [ ON | OFF ]

:Setvar

:Listvar

Be aware of the following when you use sqlcmd commands:

  • All sqlcmd commands, except GO, must be prefixed by a colon (:).

    Important

    To maintain backward compatibility with existing osql scripts, some of the commands will be recognized without the colon, indicated by the :.

  • sqlcmd commands are recognized only if they appear at the start of a line.

  • All sqlcmd commands are case insensitive.

  • Each command must be on a separate line. A command can't be followed by a Transact-SQL statement or another command.

  • Commands are executed immediately. They aren't put in the execution buffer as Transact-SQL statements are.

Editing commands

[:]ED

Starts the text editor. This editor can be used to edit the current Transact-SQL batch, or the last executed batch. To edit the last executed batch, the ED command must be typed immediately after the last batch has completed execution.

The text editor is defined by the SQLCMDEDITOR environment variable. The default editor is Edit. To change the editor, set the SQLCMDEDITOR environment variable. For example, to set the editor to Microsoft Notepad, at the command prompt, type:

SET SQLCMDEDITOR=notepad

[:]RESET

Clears the statement cache.

:List

Prints the content of the statement cache.

Variables

:Setvar <var> [ "value" ]

Defines sqlcmd scripting variables. Scripting variables have the following format: $(VARNAME).

Variable names are case insensitive.

Scripting variables can be set in the following ways:

  • Implicitly using a command-line option. For example, the -l option sets the SQLCMDLOGINTIMEOUT sqlcmd variable.

  • Explicitly by using the :Setvar command.

  • By defining an environment variable before you run sqlcmd.

Note

The -X option prevents environment variables from being passed on to sqlcmd.

If a variable defined by using :Setvar and an environment variable have the same name, the variable defined by using :Setvar takes precedence.

Variable names must not contain blank space characters.

Variable names can't have the same form as a variable expression, such as $(var).

If the string value of the scripting variable contains blank spaces, enclose the value in quotation marks. If a value for a scripting variable isn't specified, the scripting variable is dropped.

:Listvar

Displays a list of the scripting variables that are currently set.

Note

Only scripting variables that are set by sqlcmd, and those that are set using the :Setvar command will be displayed.

Output commands

:Error <filename> | STDERR | STDOUT

Redirect all error output to the file specified by filename, to stderr or to stdout. The :Error command can appear multiple times in a script. By default, error output is sent to stderr.

  • filename

    Creates and opens a file that receives the output. If the file already exists, it's truncated to zero bytes. If the file isn't available because of permissions or other reasons, the output isn't switched, and is sent to the last specified or default destination.

  • STDERR

    Switches error output to the stderr stream. If this has been redirected, the target to which the stream has been redirected receives the error output.

  • STDOUT

    Switches error output to the stdout stream. If this has been redirected, the target to which the stream has been redirected receives the error output.

:Out <filename> | STDERR | STDOUT

Creates and redirects all query results to the file specified by file name, to stderr or to stdout. By default, output is sent to stdout. If the file already exists, it's truncated to zero bytes. The :Out command can appear multiple times in a script.

:Perftrace <filename> | STDERR | STDOUT

Creates and redirects all performance trace information to the file specified by file name, to stderr or to stdout. By default performance trace output is sent to stdout. If the file already exists, it's truncated to zero bytes. The :Perftrace command can appear multiple times in a script.

Execution control commands

:On Error [ exit | ignore ]

Sets the action to be performed when an error occurs during script or batch execution.

When the exit option is used, sqlcmd exits with the appropriate error value.

When the ignore option is used, sqlcmd ignores the error and continues executing the batch or script. By default, an error message is printed.

[:]QUIT

Causes sqlcmd to exit.

[:]EXIT [ ( statement ) ]

Lets you use the result of a SELECT statement as the return value from sqlcmd. If numeric, the first column of the last result row is converted to a 4-byte integer (long). MS-DOS, Linux, and macOS pass the low byte to the parent process or operating system error level. Windows 2000 and later versions passes the whole 4-byte integer. The syntax is :EXIT(query).

For example:

:EXIT(SELECT @@ROWCOUNT)

You can also include the :EXIT parameter as part of a batch file. For example, at the command prompt, type:

sqlcmd -Q ":EXIT(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM '%1')"

The sqlcmd utility sends everything between the parentheses (()) to the server. If a system stored procedure selects a set and returns a value, only the selection is returned. The :EXIT() statement with nothing between the parentheses executes everything before it in the batch, and then exits without a return value.

When an incorrect query is specified, sqlcmd exits without a return value.

Here is a list of EXIT formats:

  • :EXIT

    Doesn't execute the batch, and then quits immediately and returns no value.

  • :EXIT( )

    Executes the batch, and then quits and returns no value.

  • :EXIT(query)

    Executes the batch that includes the query, and then quits after it returns the results of the query.

If RAISERROR is used within a sqlcmd script, and a state of 127 is raised, sqlcmd quits, and returns the message ID back to the client. For example:

RAISERROR(50001, 10, 127)

This error causes the sqlcmd script to end and return the message ID 50001 to the client.

The return values -1 to -99 are reserved by SQL Server, and sqlcmd defines the following additional return values:

Return value Description
-100 Error encountered prior to selecting return value.
-101 No rows found when selecting return value.
-102 Conversion error occurred when selecting return value.

GO [count]

GO signals both the end of a batch and the execution of any cached Transact-SQL statements. The batch is executed multiple times as separate batches. You can't declare a variable more than once in a single batch.

Miscellaneous commands

:r <filename>

Parses additional Transact-SQL statements and sqlcmd commands from the file specified by filename into the statement cache. filename is read relative to the startup directory in which sqlcmd was run.

If the file contains Transact-SQL statements that aren't followed by GO, you must enter GO on the line that follows :r.

The file will be read and executed after a batch terminator is encountered. You can issue multiple :r commands. The file may include any sqlcmd command, including the batch terminator GO.

Note

The line count that is displayed in interactive mode will be increased by one for every :r command encountered. The :r command will appear in the output of the list command.

:ServerList

Lists the locally configured servers and the names of the servers broadcasting on the network.

:Connect server_name[\instance_name] [-l timeout] [-U user_name [-P password]]

Connects to an instance of SQL Server. Also closes the current connection.

Time-out options:

Value Behavior
0 Wait forever
n>0 Wait for n seconds

The SQLCMDSERVER scripting variable reflects the current active connection.

If timeout isn't specified, the value of the SQLCMDLOGINTIMEOUT variable is the default.

If only user_name is specified (either as an option, or as an environment variable), the user is prompted to enter a password. Users aren't prompted if the SQLCMDUSER or SQLCMDPASSWORD environment variables have been set. If you don't provide options or environment variables, Windows Authentication mode is used to sign in. For example, to connect to an instance, instance1, of SQL Server, myserver, by using integrated security you would use the following command:

:connect myserver\instance1

To connect to the default instance of myserver using scripting variables, you would use the following settings:

:setvar myusername test
:setvar myservername myserver
:connect $(myservername) $(myusername)

[:]!! command

Executes operating system commands. To execute an operating system command, start a line with two exclamation marks (!!) followed by the operating system command. For example:

:!! dir

Note

The command is executed on the computer on which sqlcmd is running.

:XML [ ON | OFF ]

For more information, see XML Output Format and JSON Output Format in this article.

:Help

Lists sqlcmd commands, together with a short description of each command.

sqlcmd file names

sqlcmd input files can be specified with the -i option or the :r command. Output files can be specified with the -o option or the :Error, :Out and :Perftrace commands. The following are some guidelines for working with these files:

  • :Error, :Out and :Perftrace should use separate filename values. If the same filename is used, inputs from the commands may be intermixed.

  • If an input file that is located on a remote server is called from sqlcmd on a local computer, and the file contains a drive file path such as :Out c:\OutputFile.txt, the output file is created on the local computer and not on the remote server.

  • Valid file paths include: C:\<filename>, \\<Server>\<Share$>\<filename>, and "C:\Some Folder\<file name>". If there's a space in the path, use quotation marks.

  • Each new sqlcmd session overwrites existing files that have the same names.

Informational messages

sqlcmd prints any informational message that is sent by the server. In the following example, after the Transact-SQL statements are executed, an informational message is printed.

Start sqlcmd. At the sqlcmd command prompt, type the query:

USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO

When you press ENTER, the following informational message is printed:

Changed database context to 'AdventureWorks2022'.

Output format from Transact-SQL queries

sqlcmd first prints a column header that contains the column names specified in the select list. The column names are separated by using the SQLCMDCOLSEP character. By default, this is a space. If the column name is shorter than the column width, the output is padded with spaces up to the next column.

This line is followed by a separator line that is a series of dash characters. The following output shows an example.

Start sqlcmd. At the sqlcmd command prompt, type the query:

USE AdventureWorks2022;
SELECT TOP (2) BusinessEntityID, FirstName, LastName
FROM Person.Person;
GO

When you press ENTER, the following result set is returned.

BusinessEntityID FirstName    LastName
---------------- ------------ ----------
285              Syed         Abbas
293              Catherine    Abel
(2 row(s) affected)

Although the BusinessEntityID column is only four characters wide, it has been expanded to accommodate the longer column name. By default, output is terminated at 80 characters. This width can be changed by using the -w option, or by setting the SQLCMDCOLWIDTH scripting variable.

XML output format

XML output that is the result of a FOR XML clause is output, unformatted, in a continuous stream.

When you expect XML output, use the following command: :XML ON.

Note

sqlcmd returns error messages in the usual format. The error messages are also output in the XML text stream in XML format. By using :XML ON, sqlcmd does not display informational messages.

To set the XML mode to off, use the following command: :XML OFF.

The GO command shouldn't appear before the :XML OFF command is issued, because the :XML OFF command switches sqlcmd back to row-oriented output.

XML (streamed) data and rowset data can't be mixed. If the :XML ON command hasn't been issued before a Transact-SQL statement that outputs XML streams is executed, the output is garbled. Once the :XML ON command has been issued, you can't execute Transact-SQL statements that output regular row sets.

Note

The :XML command does not support the SET STATISTICS XML statement.

JSON output format

When you expect JSON output, use the following command: :XML ON. Otherwise, the output includes both the column name and the JSON text. This output isn't valid JSON.

To set the XML mode to off, use the following command: :XML OFF.

For more info, see XML Output Format in this article.

Use Microsoft Entra authentication

Examples using Microsoft Entra authentication:

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net  -G  -l 30

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net -G -U bob@contoso.com -P MyAzureADPassword -l 30

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net  -G  -l 30

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net -G -U bob@contoso.com -P MyAzureADPassword -l 30

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net  -G  -l 30

sqlcmd -S Target_DB_or_DW.testsrv.database.windows.net -G -U bob@contoso.com -P MyAzureADPassword -l 30

sqlcmd best practices

Use the following practices to help maximize security and efficiency.

  • Use integrated security.

  • Use -X[1] in automated environments.

  • Secure input and output files by using appropriate file system permissions.

  • To increase performance, do as much in one sqlcmd session as you can, instead of in a series of sessions.

  • Set time-out values for batch or query execution higher than you expect it will take to execute the batch or query.

Use the following practices to help maximize correctness:

  • Use -V16 to log any severity 16 level messages. Severity 16 messages indicate general errors that can be corrected by the user.

  • Check the exit code and DOS ERRORLEVEL variable after the process has exited. sqlcmd returns 0 normally, otherwise it sets the ERRORLEVEL as configured by -V. In other words, ERRORLEVEL shouldn't be expected to be the same value as the error number reported from SQL Server. The error number is a SQL Server-specific value corresponding to the system function @@ERROR. ERRORLEVEL is a sqlcmd-specific value to indicate why sqlcmd terminated, and its value is influenced by specifying -b command line argument.

Using -V16 in combination with checking the exit code and DOS ERRORLEVEL can help catch errors in automated environments, particularly quality gates before a production release.

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