View the optimizer's execution plan.
Section: explain and analysis
Explain a SELECT query
sql
sql
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM orders WHERE user_id = 42 ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 20;Explanation
`EXPLAIN` is the first stop when a query is unexpectedly slow.
Learn the surrounding workflow
Compare similar commands or jump into common fixes when this command is part of a bigger troubleshooting path.
Related commands
Same sheet · prioritizing explain and analysis
Explain a currently running connection
Obtain the plan for a statement running in another session.
Run EXPLAIN ANALYZE
Execute the query and include actual timing information.
Optimize a table
Reorganize table storage and update index statistics for supported engines.