--- title: SQL CLI description: Elasticsearch ships with a script to run the SQL CLI in its bin directory: You can pass the URL of the Elasticsearch instance to connect to as the first... url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-cli products: - Elasticsearch applies_to: - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available - Elastic Stack: Generally available --- # SQL CLI Elasticsearch ships with a script to run the SQL CLI in its `bin` directory: ```bash $ ./bin/elasticsearch-sql-cli ``` You can pass the URL of the Elasticsearch instance to connect to as the first parameter: ```bash $ ./bin/elasticsearch-sql-cli https://some.server:9200 ``` If security is enabled on your cluster, you can pass the username and password in the form `username:password@host_name:port` to the SQL CLI: ```bash $ ./bin/elasticsearch-sql-cli https://sql_user:strongpassword@some.server:9200 ``` ### API Key Authentication As an alternative to basic authentication, you can use API key authentication with the `--apikey` option. API keys can be created using the [Create API key API](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/api-keys/elasticsearch-api-keys). The API key should be provided in its encoded form (the `encoded` value returned by the Create API key API): ```bash $ ./bin/elasticsearch-sql-cli --apikey https://some.server:9200 ``` When using API key authentication, do not include username and password in the URL. The CLI will return an error if both API key and basic authentication credentials are provided. Command line arguments are visible to other users on the system through process listing commands like `ps aux` or by inspecting `/proc//cmdline`. Avoid using this method on shared systems where other users might be able to view your credentials. Once the CLI is running you can use any [query](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-spec) that Elasticsearch supports: ```sql sql> SELECT * FROM library WHERE page_count > 500 ORDER BY page_count DESC; author | name | page_count | release_date -----------------+--------------------+---------------+--------------- Peter F. Hamilton|Pandora's Star |768 |1078185600000 Vernor Vinge |A Fire Upon the Deep|613 |707356800000 Frank Herbert |Dune |604 |-144720000000 Alastair Reynolds|Revelation Space |585 |953078400000 James S.A. Corey |Leviathan Wakes |561 |1306972800000 ``` The jar containing the SQL CLI is a stand alone Java application and the scripts just launch it. You can move it around to other machines without having to install Elasticsearch on them. Without the already provided script files, you can use a command similar to the following to start the SQL CLI: ```bash $ ./java -jar [PATH_TO_CLI_JAR]/elasticsearch-sql-cli-[VERSION].jar https://some.server:9200 ``` or ```bash $ ./java -cp [PATH_TO_CLI_JAR]/elasticsearch-sql-cli-[VERSION].jar org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.cli.Cli https://some.server:9200 ``` The jar name will be different for each Elasticsearch version (for example `elasticsearch-sql-cli-7.3.2.jar`), thus the generic `VERSION` specified in the example above. Furthermore, if not running the command from the folder where the SQL CLI jar resides, you’d have to provide the full path, as well. ## CLI commands Apart from SQL queries, CLI can also execute some specific commands: If `true`, returns partial results if there are shard request timeouts or [shard failures](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/distributed-architecture/reading-and-writing-documents#shard-failures). If `false`, returns an error with no partial results. ```sql sql> allow_partial_search_results = true; allow_partial_search_results set to true ``` Allows to change the size of fetches for query execution. Each fetch is delimited by fetch separator (if explicitly set). ```sql sql> fetch_size = 2000; fetch size set to 2000 ``` Allows to change the separator string between fetches. ```sql sql> fetch_separator = "---------------------"; fetch separator set to "---------------------" ``` If `false`, Elasticsearch SQL returns an error for fields containing [array values](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/array). If `true`, Elasticsearch SQL returns the first value from the array with no guarantee of consistent results. ```sql sql> lenient = true; lenient set to true ``` Returns server information. ```sql sql> info; Node:mynode Cluster:elasticsearch Version:8.3 ``` Closes the CLI. ```sql sql> exit; Bye! ``` Clears the screen. ```sql sql> cls; ``` Prints Elastic logo. ```sql sql> logo; asticElasticE ElasticE sticEla sticEl ticEl Elast lasti Elasti tic cEl ast icE icE as cEl icE as cEl icEla las El sticElasticElast icElas las last ticElast El asti asti stic El asticEla Elas icE El Elas cElasticE ticEl cE Ela ticEl ticElasti cE las astic last icE sticElas asti stic icEl sticElasticElast icE sticE ticEla icE sti cEla icEl sti Ela cEl sti cEl Ela astic ticE asti ElasticElasti ticElasti lasticElas ElasticElast SQL 8.3.0 ```