FAQ
- What is an AST?
- AST stands for Abstract Syntax Tree. It's the tree-shaped representation a parser produces when it reads your SQL — every clause, expression, and literal becomes a node, and nesting captures the structure. Abstract because it strips away syntax noise (whitespace, optional commas) and keeps only the meaning. parsesql.io's AST tab shows this tree as collapsible JSON; it's the same data structure the formatter walks to pretty-print your query and the analyzer walks to find optimization opportunities.
- Is parsesql.io free?
- Yes. Anonymous use is free with a daily limit of 100 parses per IP. Cache hits do not consume the quota.
- Do you store my SQL?
- A truncated sample of each submitted query (up to 2 KB) and a SHA-256 hash of your IP are kept to detect abuse and improve the analyzer. Don't paste secrets, credentials, or sensitive data.
- Does it work offline?
- Not yet. Parsing is server-side. An offline/in-browser version is on the roadmap.
- Why not just use my IDE's formatter?
- Most IDE formatters target one dialect and don't surface optimization issues. parsesql.io is dialect-aware, runs in the browser without setup, and explains why each finding matters.
- Can I use this programmatically?
- The underlying API is public (
POST /api/parse) and rate-limited by IP. For higher-volume use get in touch with us: contact @ parsesql.io