Data & SQL21 categories
Make this slow query faster
A query that used to be fine now takes minutes.
This query is too slow. Diagnose before you rewrite. 1. Identify the likely bottleneck: full scans, a join that explodes then gets filtered, a correlated subquery running per row, functions applied to indexed columns, sorting a large intermediate result, DISTINCT hiding a join problem. 2. Say what you would need to know to confirm: row counts, cardinality, existing indexes, the plan. Ask me for it rather than guessing. 3. Give a rewritten version that returns identical results, and explain each change. 4. Rank the changes by expected speedup against effort, and tell me which ones are not worth doing. 5. Flag any rewrite that changes results in edge cases, particularly around NULLs or duplicates. If the real fix is an index or a schema change rather than a rewrite, say that first. Query: Table sizes and existing indexes, if known:
Making it yours
- Paste your own material where the prompt asks for it. Everything above that line is instruction, not content.
- Delete any rule that does not apply to you. A shorter prompt that fits beats a thorough one that does not.
- If the answer comes back vague, add a line saying what you do not want. Constraints work better than encouragement.
Making queries faster. Diagnosing a slow query, reading the plan, and finding the smallest index that fixes it.
Related prompts
What index should this query have?A query does a sequential scan and you want the smallest index that fixes it.Read this query plan with meYou have an EXPLAIN output and no idea which line is the problem.Why is this query slow?A query got sluggish and you want one lead, not a checklist.Will this query use my index?You added an index and the plan still shows a sequential scan.Explain this query to me line by lineYou inherited a 200-line query and need to understand it before changing it.Write the query from a plain-language questionYou know exactly what you want to know and not how to express it in SQL.
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