Explain plans
See how your database runs a query. RowDex shows EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN ANALYZE as a readable plan tree for PostgreSQL, Redshift, MySQL and MariaDB, with an optional AI summary.
On this page
When a query is slow, the plan tells you why. RowDex wraps your statement in the right EXPLAIN form for your engine and shows the result as a tree instead of a wall of text.
Two modes#
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Show query plan | Runs EXPLAIN. The plan is estimated and your query is not executed. |
| Run EXPLAIN ANALYZE | Runs the query for real and reports actual timings and row counts. |
Read the plan#
- Nodes are shown as a tree: the work at the bottom feeds the work above it.
- Look for the nodes with the highest cost or time. They are where the query spends its effort.
- Large differences between estimated and actual rows suggest out-of-date statistics.
- Expand Explained SQL to see the exact statement that was analyzed.
AI summary#
Click Summarize this plan with AI for a plain-language explanation of what the plan is doing and where it is slow. It uses the provider you configured in AI settings.
MongoDB has its own explain action in the collection toolbar. See MongoDB.
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