--- title: Use the InfluxQL shell description: Use the InfluxQL interactive shell to execute InfluxQL queries and interact with InfluxDB. url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v2/tools/influxql-shell/ estimated_tokens: 2854 product: InfluxDB OSS v2 version: v2 publisher: InfluxData canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v2/tools/influxql-shell/ date: '2025-04-02T15:54:32-06:00' lastmod: '2025-04-02T15:54:32-06:00' --- This page documents an earlier version of InfluxDB OSS.[InfluxDB 3 Core](/influxdb3/core/) is the latest stable version. #### API token hashing is enabled by default in InfluxDB OSS 2.9.0 Stronger token security: tokens are stored as hashes on disk, so a copy of the database file doesn’t expose usable tokens. Existing tokens are hashed on first startup and the original strings can’t be recovered afterward — **capture any plaintext tokens you still need before you upgrade**. For more information, see [Token hashing](/influxdb/v2/admin/tokens/#token-hashing). Use the InfluxQL interactive shell to execute InfluxQL queries with InfluxDB. * [Map database and retention policies to buckets](#map-database-and-retention-policies-to-buckets) * [Download and install the influx CLI](#download-and-install-the-influx-cli) * [Start the InfluxQL shell](#start-the-influxql-shell) * [Execute InfluxQL queries](#execute-influxql-queries) * [Use and configure display formats](#use-and-configure-display-formats) * [InfluxQL shell helper commands](#influxql-shell-helper-commands) ## Map database and retention policies to buckets InfluxQL queries require a database and retention policy to query data. In InfluxDB 2.9, databases and retention policies have been combined and replaced with [buckets](/influxdb/v2/reference/glossary/#bucket). To use the InfluxQL to query an InfluxDB 2.9 bucket, first map your DBRP combinations to an appropriate bucket. For information about creating DBRP mappings, see[Query data with InfluxQL](/influxdb/v2/query-data/influxql/). ## Download and install the influx CLI The InfluxQL REPL is included in the **`influx` CLI (2.4+)**.[Download and install the `influx` CLI](/influxdb/v2/tools/influx-cli/#install-the-influx-cli). ## Start the InfluxQL shell Use the [`influx v1 shell` command](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/v1/shell/)to start an InfluxQL shell session. ```sh influx v1 shell ``` ### Configure your InfluxDB connection The `influx v1 shell` command requires the following to connect to InfluxDB: * [InfluxDB host](/influxdb/v2/reference/urls/) * [Organization name or ID](/influxdb/v2/admin/organizations/view-orgs/) * [API token](/influxdb/v2/admin/tokens/) Use one of the following methods to provide these credentials to the `influx v1 shell` command: #### CLI config *(Recommended)* #### The `influx` CLI lets your configure and store multiple sets of connection credentials to use with commands. Each set of credentials is a **CLI config**. Use CLI configs to provide required credentials to the `influx v1 shell` command. 1. Create a new CLI config and set it to *active*. ``` influx config create --config-name \ --host-url http://localhost:8086 \ --org example-org \ --token mY5up3Rs3CrE7t0k3N \ --active ``` 2. Start an InfluxQL shell ``` influx v1 shell ``` All `influx` commands use credentials provided by the active CLI config. For more information about managing CLI configs, see the[`influx config` documentation](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/config/). Use `influx v1 shell` command flags to provide the required credentials: ```sh influx v1 shell \ --host http://localhost:8086 \ --org example-org \ --token mY5up3Rs3CrE7t0k3N ``` Use environment variables to provided the required credentials. The `influx` CLI will automatically use the following environment variables for required credentials if the environment variables are set: * `INFLUX_HOST` * `INFLUX_ORG` or `INFLUX_ORG_ID` * `INFLUX_TOKEN` ```sh export INFLUX_HOST=http://localhost:8086 export INFLUX_ORG=example-org export INFLUX_TOKEN=mY5up3Rs3CrE7t0k3N influx v1 shell ``` ## Execute InfluxQL queries Within the InfluxQL shell, execute any InfluxQL query supported by InfluxDB 2.9. For information about what queries are supported see[InfluxQL support in InfluxDB 2.9](/influxdb/v2/query-data/influxql/#influxql-support). View the [InfluxQL documentation (1.11)](/influxdb/v1/query_language/)for in-depth documentation about the query language. ## Use and configure display formats The InfluxQL shell outputs query results using different display formats. Use the [`format` helper command](#format) to specify which display format to use. #### table *(default)* #### The InfluxQL shell uses the `table` display format by default. If using another display format and you want to switch back to the `table` format, run the following *in the InfluxQL shell*. ```sql format table ``` ### Table-formatted results The table format outputs results in an interactive table format. InfluxQL shell table display format Results are paginated. Use `shift + up/down arrow` to navigate between pages. Use `q` to exit out of the interactive table display. ### Configure the table display format #### Use scientific notation To display values using scientific notation, use the [`scientific` helper command](#scientific)to toggle scientific notation. #### Specify timestamp precision or format To specify the precision or format of timestamps returned in results, use the[`precision` helper command](#precision). ```sql -- Return results formatted as RFC3339 timestamps precision rfc3339 -- Return results with second-precision unix timestamps precision s ``` To use the `column` format, run the following *in the InfluxQL shell*. ```sql format column ``` ### Column-formatted results The `column` format displays results in a text-based column format. ``` name: cpu time usage_user usage_system ---- ---------- ------------ 1.62767581e+09 5.476026754935672 2.5629805588360313 1.62767581e+09 0.4999999999972715 0.09999999999990905 1.62767581e+09 18.718718718689555 10.810810810692704 1.62767581e+09 6.500000000090222 3.2000000000343425 1.62767581e+09 4.1999999999336435 1.3999999999778812 1.62767581e+09 7.992007992122577 4.095904095946467 1.62767581e+09 0.3000000000054934 0.1000000000010732 ``` ### Configure the column display format #### Specify timestamp precision To specify the precision or format of timestamps returned in results, use the[`precision` helper command](#precision). ```sql -- Return results formatted as RFC3339 timestamps precision rfc3339 -- Return results with second-precision unix timestamps precision s ``` To use the `csv` format, run the following *in the InfluxQL shell*. ```sql format csv ``` ### CSV-formatted results The `csv` format displays results in CSV format. ```csv name,time,usage_user,usage_system cpu,1.62767582e+09,4.207038819798416,3.5194098893833914 cpu,1.62767582e+09,0.19980019980215585,0.19980019980215585 cpu,1.62767582e+09,14.914914914981258,14.114114114162232 cpu,1.62767582e+09,5.805805805828698,4.004004003985887 cpu,1.62767582e+09,2.5025025025339978,1.8018018018273916 cpu,1.62767582e+09,7.299999999874271,5.699999999930733 cpu,1.62767582e+09,0.09999999999647116,0.0999999999987449 ``` ### Configure the CSV display format #### Specify timestamp precision To specify the precision or format of timestamps returned in results, use the[`precision` helper command](#precision). ```sql -- Return results formatted as RFC3339 timestamps precision rfc3339 -- Return results with second-precision unix timestamps precision s ``` To use the `json` format, run the following *in the InfluxQL shell*. ```sql format json ``` ### JSON-formatted results The `csv` format displays results in JSON format. ```json { "results": [ { "series": [ { "columns": [ "time", "usage_user", "usage_system" ], "name": "cpu", "values": [ [ 1627675850, 4.601935685334947, 4.139868872973054 ], [ 1627675850, 0.3992015968099201, 0.2994011976074401 ], [ 1627675850, 7.599999999947613, 7.299999999995634 ], [ 1627675850, 0.3992015968098205, 0.4990019960088718 ], [ 1627675850, 9.59040959050348, 8.49150849158481 ], [ 1627675850, 0.2997002996974768, 0.39960039959966437 ], [ 1627675850, 9.590409590464631, 8.691308691326773 ] ] } ], "statement_id": 0 } ] } ``` [](#) ### Configure the JSON display format #### Pretty print JSON output By default, the `json` display format returns an unformatted JSON string. To format the JSON, use the [`pretty` helper command](#pretty) to toggle JSON pretty printing. #### Specify timestamp precision To specify the precision or format of timestamps returned in results, use the[`precision` helper command](#precision). ```sql -- Return results formatted as RFC3339 timestamps precision rfc3339 -- Return results with second-precision unix timestamps precision s ``` ## InfluxQL shell helper commands The InfluxQL shell supports the following helper commands: * [clear](#clear) * [exit](#exit) * [format](#format) * [gopher](#gopher) * [help](#help) * [history](#history) * [precision](#precision) * [pretty](#pretty) * [quit](#quit) * [scientific](#scientific) * [use](#use) ### clear Clear session based-settings such as database. ### exit Exit the InfluxQL shell. ### format Specify the data display format. The InfluxQL supports the following display formats: * csv * json * column * table *(default)* ```sql -- Display query output using column display format column ``` For more information, see [Use and configure display formats](#use-and-configure-display-formats). ### gopher Print the Go gopher. ### help Print the InfluxQL shell help options. ### history View the InfluxQL shell history. ### precision Specify the format or precision of timestamps. Use one of the following: * rfc3339 * h * m * s * ms * u * ns *(default)* ```sql -- Set timestamp precision to seconds precision s ``` ### pretty Toggle “pretty print” for the [`json` display format](#format). ### quit Exit the InfluxQL shell ### scientific Toggle scientific number format for the [`table` display format](#format). ### use Set the database and retention policy (optional) to use for queries. ```sql -- Use the exampledb database use exampledb -- Use the exampledb database and examplerp retention policy use exampledb.examplerp ``` #### Related * [influx v1 shell](/influxdb/v2/reference/cli/influx/v1/shell/) [InfluxQL](/influxdb/v2/tags/influxql/)