Do you want to save the results of a SQL query in a file? This blog will help you find out why it’s even necessary to save your queries. Then, we’ll explore different tips & techniques to save a query successfully. You’ll learn the names of SQL management tools that can be used for SQL query saving.

Why Is Saving SQL Queries Essential?

Before learning how to save SQL queries, we should understand why saving queries is crucial for a developer. Workflow consistency demands that you save your queries, keeping them ready for reuse later. Here are a few key reasons why saving SQL queries is important:

1. Efficiency

The first benefit of saving queries is quite apparent! You don’t have to recreate them from thin air again and again. So, you’ll spend less time on query writing by simply fetching the saved file to develop code faster. You can also optimize your SQL queries and refine them over time. It will benefit you a lot in query indexing and query optimization for performance enhancement.

2. Reusability

Saving your queries will bring consistency across different tasks/projects. That’s how you can maintain data integrity and ensure that all your results are comparable. You can also share your saved queries among team members to promote collaboration. That’s how you’ll standardize the approach to data analysis and also reduce the learning curve for junior SQL coders.

3. Consistency

Besides standardization, saving your queries will also help you establish workflows within your organization. Also, keep in mind that saved queries can be version-controlled. You can track all changes/updates easily by saving your queries.

4. Security

You can include different checks and constraints in saved queries to ensure data integrity. It will prevent someone from adding invalid data to your saved queries or modifying valid data. Also, it is possible to enact regulations to ensure that only authorized personnel are allowed to execute certain saved queries.

That’s why we should find the best way to save SQL queries. Let’s share a short example for you to understand this. Let’s say you work in a retail company. You’re tasked with generating a short monthly sales report mentioning total sales by region, top-selling products, sales growth rate, etc. Your initial query will look like this:

You’ll optimize the query and add indexes on columns used in the JOIN and WHERE clauses to create a view encapsulating the logic of your SQL query. Here’s how you’ll rewrite this query:

You can then save it for future use. If you want other ways to make your SQL queries readable for all team members, then please follow proper formatting rules. Look into SQL writing top tips & best practices to find out how to generate queries while sticking to a standard format.

Next, we’ll go over the techniques you can use to save your SQL queries successfully. We’ll go over some amazing options and you’ll learn their pros and cons. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Techniques to Save SQL Queries

In this section, we’ll discuss how and where to save SQL queries successfully.

SQL Editors’ Build-In Capabilities

• Snowflake: With Snowflake, you get a query history feature that lets you view and rerun a previous query. You can also retrieve and modify past queries easily with Snowflake. It also supports stored procedures to encapsulate complex queries so you can reuse them later.

• BigQuery: BigQuery will maintain a query history for you. It’ll let you view and rerun your previous queries easily. You can also access saved queries through its console. Though BigQuery doesn’t have a direct “saved queries” feature! But you can still save queries or use external tools to manage your saved queries. Please read this guide to understand how saved queries work in BigQuery.

• DataGrip: If you want to know how to save queries in SQL developer, another unique tool to achieve this goal is DataGrip. It has also a query history feature and lets you mark frequently used queries as well. Queries can be saved as SQL files, which can be easily loaded into DataGrip for execution.

Existing Workflows

• Google Sheets: You can use the QUERY function to do SQL-like queries within Google Sheets directly. This function lets you easily manipulate data without exiting your current spreadsheet. Or, you may install add-ons like Supermetrics or Database Browser in your Google Sheets document to save/manage SQL queries. A third option is to use Google Apps Script for SQL query automation. This way, you can write scripts to easily execute your queries at particular intervals.

• Notepad/OneNote: You can save SQL queries as text files or notes in Notepad or OneNote for easy reference and reuse.

Google Sheets can be a powerful data manipulation and automation tool. However, they tend to have limited SQL functionalities compared to full SQL databases. On the other hand, Notepad is a very simple and highly accessible tool. But it doesn’t integrate well with SQL databases. Also, it doesn’t have any automation features.

Best SQL Management Tools for 2025

If you want to know how to save queries in SQL developer, then SQL management tools will come in handy as well. Let’s go over some options briefly:

1. Sherloq

Sherloq is the #1 tool when it comes to saving SQL queries. You can use its Chrome extension to save and organize queries directly from the BigQuery web UI with just a few clicks. It makes it easier to share SQL queries among your fellow developers for superior collaboration. Also, this extension lets you organize your queries by folder so you can easily find relevant queries later.

2. PopSQL

As a modern SQL editor, PopSQL lets you easily save queries for easy collaboration with fellow SQL coders. This tool supports different databases with features like query history & favorites. It is user-friendly and supports version control as well. But you may need a subscription to access its full features.

3. Hex

Hex is another collaborative SQL editor that you can use for saving & sharing queries. It easily supports real-time collaboration, offering you excellent version control. So, Hex is ideal for team collaboration since it has a very modern interface. But it may have limitations when it comes to complex query handling for large datasets.

4. SSMS

SQL Server Management Studio or SSMS is another tool to save your queries as SQL files. It’s amazing in the sense that you can get a query history from it. Also, it gives you ample options to prevent prompts from saving unsaved queries. SSMS supports complex query execution as well as management. However, since it’s designed basically for SQL Server, you may not find it very suitable for other databases.

5. DBeaver

DBeaver is a free, open-source SQL client supporting query saving. Like PopSQL, it also has a range of amazing features like query history and favorites. It supports multiple databases. Also, it is free to use! However, DBeaver may lack advanced features compared to other tools.

What’s the Best Way to Save SQL Queries?

• Save queries as views, functions, or stored procedures in a separate schema.

• Store queries as SQL files for version control and collaboration.

• Usequery history features in DataGrip or SSMS to quickly retrieve/modify previous ones.

• Use tools like OneNote to organize and document queries alongside other notes.

• Use collaborative tools like PopSQL or Hex to share and manage queries across teams.

How to Retrieve and Reuse Saved SQL Queries?

• You can save complex queries as views to easily reuse and optimize them.

• You should also wrap parameterized queries in stored procedures for structured reuse.

• Try using query editors like Starburst to save and manage queries.

• Try saving queries as SQL files for version control and collaboration.

• Use compiled queries in applications to improve performance by executing queries with different parameters.

FAQs - Saving SQL Queries

How do you save the results of SQL queries?

You can use SQL Server Management Studio to save your results as CSV or text files. You will move your mouse to click right on the results and then select the “Save Results As” option.

How to extract a query from Tableau?

Tableau doesn’t store SQL queries directly. But you can still view and copy the code generated by SQL from the “Data” menu. That’s how you extract a query from Tableau successfully.

How to share queries in Snowflake?

You can easily share queries in Snowflake by saving them as stored procedures or views. Also, you may use external tools for collaboration. That’s how Snowflake streamlines query sharing in project management.