SQL Minifier

Shrink a SQL query down to the smallest form that still runs exactly the same. The SQL Minifier strips -- and # line comments plus /* */ block comments, and collapses every run of indentation, line breaks and extra spaces into a single space — without ever touching the text inside a string literal or a quoted identifier.

How to use it

1. Paste a SQL query into the input box.
2. The minified query appears instantly in the output panel, along with a size comparison (original bytes, minified bytes, and the percentage saved).
3. Copy the result, or download it as minified.sql.

Minifying is deterministic, so there's nothing to configure — paste and go.

Will it corrupt a query that has -- or /* */ inside a string?

No — the part a naive minifier gets wrong. A regex stripper that blindly deletes --... or /* ... */ anywhere it finds them will mangle a query containing a value like 'my--value' or 'a /* not a comment */ b', because it can't tell a real comment from a comment-shaped substring inside quotes. This tool uses a character-by-character scanner that tracks whether it's currently inside a single-quoted string, a double-quoted string/identifier, or a MySQL backtick-quoted identifier. Comments are recognized only outside all three — everything inside a quoted region, including a literal -- or /* */, passes through byte-for-byte.

What about escaped quotes, like it''s?

Handled correctly. Doubling the quote character — '' in a single-quoted string, "" in a double-quoted one, or `` in a backtick identifier — is the standard escape for "a literal quote here," not the end of the string. The scanner recognizes the doubled pair and keeps reading, so 'it''s a --test-- value' stays one unbroken literal instead of being split apart or having its embedded -- mistaken for a comment.

Does it rewrite spacing around operators like =, , or -?

Whitespace outside quotes always collapses to a single space, but the tool deliberately doesn't squeeze spaces flush against punctuation the way some minifiers do. Tightening a - -1 down to a--1, for example, would accidentally manufacture a brand-new -- comment that silently swallows the rest of the query — a worse bug than the whitespace it was trying to save. A few extra bytes buy that guarantee.

Is my SQL sent to a server?

No. Minification runs entirely in your browser (or via the API, in memory) — the query text is never logged or stored.

When is this useful?

• Shrinking a query embedded in application code, a migration file, or a config value.
• Producing a compact one-liner for logs or a support ticket without losing the query's meaning.
• Cleaning up a query that was copy-pasted with inconsistent indentation before checking it into version control.

Does it reformat or validate my SQL?

No — it only removes comments and collapses whitespace; it doesn't parse the grammar, reindent it, or catch syntax errors. For readable, indented SQL, use the SQL Formatter instead.