SQL Explainer API
SQL Explainer analyzes SQL queries and provides clear, plain English explanations of what they do. Perfect for learning SQL, code reviews, or documentation.
The SQL Explainer API provides reliable and fast access to sql explainer data through a simple REST interface. Built for developers who need consistent, high-quality results with minimal setup time.
To use SQL Explainer, you need an API key. You can get one by creating a free account and visiting your dashboard.
POST Endpoint
https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainerCode Examples
Here are examples of how to call the SQL Explainer API in different programming languages:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
}'const response = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
})
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);import requests
headers = {
'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
payload = {
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
}
response = requests.post('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer', headers=headers, json=payload)
data = response.json()
print(data)const https = require('https');
const url = require('url');
const options = {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
};
const postData = JSON.stringify({
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
});
const req = https.request('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer', options, (res) => {
let data = '';
res.on('data', (chunk) => data += chunk);
res.on('end', () => console.log(JSON.parse(data)));
});
req.write(postData);
req.end();<?php
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'POST');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
'X-API-Key: your_api_key_here',
'Content-Type: application/json'
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode({
'query': 'SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC',
'detail': 'standard'
}));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
$data = json_decode($response, true);
print_r($data);
?>package main
import (
"fmt"
"io"
"net/http"
"bytes"
"encoding/json"
)
func main() {
payload := map[string]interface{}{
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
}
jsonPayload, _ := json.Marshal(payload)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonPayload))
req.Header.Set("X-API-Key", "your_api_key_here")
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
client := &http.Client{}
resp, err := client.Do(req)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
defer resp.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}require 'net/http'
require 'json'
uri = URI('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer')
http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true
payload = {
"query": "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC",
"detail": "standard"
}
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
request['X-API-Key'] = 'your_api_key_here'
request['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'
request.body = payload.to_json
response = http.request(request)
puts JSON.pretty_generate(JSON.parse(response.body))using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
class Program
{
static async Task Main(string[] args)
{
using var client = new HttpClient();
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("X-API-Key", "your_api_key_here");
var jsonContent = @"{
""query"": ""SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC"",
""detail"": ""standard""
}";
var content = new StringContent(jsonContent, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
var response = await client.PostAsync("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/sqlexplainer", content);
response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
var responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
Console.WriteLine(responseBody);
}
}Authentication
The SQL Explainer API requires authentication via API key. Include your API key in the request header:
X-API-Key: your_api_key_hereInteractive API Playground
Test the SQL Explainer API directly in your browser with live requests and responses.
Parameters
The following parameters are available for the SQL Explainer API:
Explain SQL Query
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Default | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
query | string | required | The SQL query to explain | - | |
detailPremium | string | optional | Explanation detail level: brief, standard, or detailed |
Response
The SQL Explainer API returns responses in JSON, XML, YAML, and CSV formats:
Example Responses
{
"status": "ok",
"error": null,
"data": {
"explanation": "This SQL query retrieves the names of users and the number of orders they have placed. It filters users who were created after January 1, 2024. The query then groups the results by user ID and only includes users who have placed more than 5 orders, finally ordering the results by the order count in descending order.",
"operation": "SELECT",
"tables": [
"users",
"orders"
],
"complexity": "moderate"
}
}<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<response>
<status>ok</status>
<error xsi:nil="true" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"/>
<data>
<explanation>This SQL query retrieves the names of users and the number of orders they have placed. It filters users who were created after January 1, 2024. The query then groups the results by user ID and only includes users who have placed more than 5 orders, finally ordering the results by the order count in descending order.</explanation>
<operation>SELECT</operation>
<tables>
<table>users</table>
<table>orders</table>
</tables>
<complexity>moderate</complexity>
</data>
</response>
status: ok
error: null
data:
explanation: >-
This SQL query retrieves the names of users and the number of orders they
have placed. It filters users who were created after January 1, 2024. The
query then groups the results by user ID and only includes users who have
placed more than 5 orders, finally ordering the results by the order count
in descending order.
operation: SELECT
tables:
- users
- orders
complexity: moderate
| key | value |
|---|---|
| explanation | This SQL query retrieves the names of users and the number of orders they have placed. It filters users who were created after January 1, 2024. The query then groups the results by user ID and only includes users who have placed more than 5 orders, finally ordering the results by the order count in descending order. |
| operation | SELECT |
| tables | [users,orders] |
| complexity | moderate |
Response Structure
All API responses follow a consistent structure with the following fields:
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
status | string | Indicates whether the request was successful ("ok") or failed ("error") | ok |
error | string | null | Contains error message if status is "error", otherwise null | null |
data | object | null | Contains the API response data if successful, otherwise null | {...} |
Learn more about response formats →
Response Data Fields
When the request is successful, the data object contains the following fields:
| Field | Type | Sample Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
explanation | string | Plain English explanation of what the SQL query does | |
operation | string | The type of SQL operation performed by the query | |
tables | array | List of database tables referenced in the query | |
complexityPremium | string | The estimated complexity level of the SQL query |
Headers
Required and optional headers for SQL Explainer API requests:
| Header Name | Required | Example Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
X-API-Key | required | your_api_key_here | Your APIVerve API key. Found in your dashboard under API Keys. |
Accept | optional | application/json | Specify response format: application/json (default), application/xml, or application/yaml |
User-Agent | optional | MyApp/1.0 | Identifies your application for analytics and debugging purposes |
X-Request-ID | optional | req_123456789 | Custom request identifier for tracking and debugging requests |
Cache-Control | optional | no-cache | Control caching behavior for the request and response |
GraphQL AccessALPHA
Access SQL Explainer through GraphQL to combine it with other API calls in a single request. Query only the sql explainer data you need with precise field selection, and orchestrate complex data fetching workflows.
Credit Cost: Each API called in your GraphQL query consumes its standard credit cost.
POST https://api.apiverve.com/v1/graphqlquery {
sqlexplainer(
input: {
query: "SELECT u.name, COUNT(o.id) as order_count FROM users u LEFT JOIN orders o ON u.id = o.user_id WHERE u.created_at > '2024-01-01' GROUP BY u.id HAVING COUNT(o.id) > 5 ORDER BY order_count DESC"
detail: "standard"
}
) {
explanation
operation
tables
complexity
}
}Note: Authentication is handled via the x-api-key header in your GraphQL request, not as a query parameter.
CORS Support
The SQL Explainer API supports Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) with wildcard configuration, allowing you to call SQL Explainer directly from browser-based applications without proxy servers.
| CORS Header | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
Access-Control-Allow-Origin | * | Accepts requests from any origin |
Access-Control-Allow-Methods | * | Accepts any HTTP method |
Access-Control-Allow-Headers | * | Accepts any request headers |
Browser Usage: You can call SQL Explainer directly from JavaScript running in the browser without encountering CORS errors. No proxy server or additional configuration needed.
Rate Limiting
SQL Explainer API requests are subject to rate limiting based on your subscription plan. These limits ensure fair usage and maintain service quality for all SQL Explainer users.
| Plan | Rate Limit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 requests/min | Hard rate limit enforced - exceeding will return 429 errors |
| Starter | No Limit | Production ready - standard traffic priority |
| Pro | No Limit | Production ready - preferred traffic priority |
| Mega | No Limit | Production ready - highest traffic priority |
Learn more about rate limiting →
Rate Limit Headers
When rate limits apply, each SQL Explainer response includes headers to help you track your usage:
| Header | Description |
|---|---|
X-RateLimit-Limit | Maximum number of requests allowed per time window |
X-RateLimit-Remaining | Number of requests remaining in the current window |
X-RateLimit-Reset | Unix timestamp when the rate limit window resets |
Handling Rate Limits
Free Plan: When you exceed your rate limit, SQL Explainer returns a 429 Too Many Requests status code. Your application should implement appropriate backoff logic to handle this gracefully.
Paid Plans: No rate limiting or throttling applied. All paid plans (Starter, Pro, Mega) are production-ready.
Best Practices for SQL Explainer:
- Monitor the rate limit headers to track your SQL Explainer usage (Free plan only)
- Cache sql explainer responses where appropriate to reduce API calls
- Upgrade to Pro or Mega for guaranteed no-throttle SQL Explainer performance
Note: SQL Explainer rate limits are separate from credit consumption. You may have credits remaining but still hit rate limits when using SQL Explainer on Free tier.
Error Codes
The SQL Explainer API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate success or failure:
| Code | Message | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
200 | OK | Request successful, data returned | No action needed - request was successful |
400 | Bad Request | Invalid request parameters or malformed request | Check required parameters and ensure values match expected formats |
401 | Unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key | Include x-api-key header with valid API key from dashboard |
403 | Forbidden | API key lacks permission or insufficient credits | Check credit balance in dashboard or upgrade plan |
429 | Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded (Free: 5 req/min) | Implement request throttling or upgrade to paid plan |
500 | Internal Server Error | Server error occurred | Retry request after a few seconds, contact support if persists |
503 | Service Unavailable | API temporarily unavailable | Wait and retry, check status page for maintenance updates |
Learn more about error handling →
Need help? Contact support with your X-Request-ID for assistance.
Integrate SQL Explainer with SDKs
Get started quickly with official SQL Explainer SDKs for your preferred language. Each library handles authentication, request formatting, and error handling automatically.
Available for Node.js, Python, C#/.NET, and Android/Java. All SDKs are open source and regularly updated.
Integrate SQL Explainer with No-Code API Tools
Connect the SQL Explainer API to your favorite automation platform without writing code. Build workflows that leverage sql explainer data across thousands of apps.





All platforms use your same API key to access SQL Explainer. Visit our integrations hub for step-by-step setup guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an API key for SQL Explainer?
How many credits does SQL Explainer cost?
Each successful SQL Explainer API call consumes credits based on plan tier. Check the pricing section above for the exact credit cost. Failed requests and errors don't consume credits, so you only pay for successful sql explainer lookups.
Can I use SQL Explainer in production?
The free plan is for testing and development only. For production use of SQL Explainer, upgrade to a paid plan (Starter, Pro, or Mega) which includes commercial use rights, no attribution requirements, and guaranteed uptime SLAs. All paid plans are production-ready.
Can I use SQL Explainer from a browser?
What happens if I exceed my SQL Explainer credit limit?
When you reach your monthly credit limit, SQL Explainer API requests will return an error until you upgrade your plan or wait for the next billing cycle. You'll receive notifications at 80% and 95% usage to give you time to upgrade if needed.



