---
title: Explore your schema with SQL
description: Use SQL to explore your data schema in your InfluxDB 3 Core database.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/query-data/sql/explore-schema/
estimated_tokens: 1264
product: InfluxDB 3 Core
version: core
---

# Explore your schema with SQL

Use SQL to explore your data schema in your InfluxDB 3 Core database.

## List tables in a database

Use `SHOW TABLES` to list tables in your InfluxDB database.

```sql
SHOW TABLES
```

[](#view-example-output)

View example output

Tables listed with the `table_schema` of `iox` are tables. Tables with `system` or `information_schema` table schemas are system tables that store internal metadata.

| table_catalog | table_schema | table_name | table_type |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| public | iox | home | BASE TABLE |
| public | iox | noaa | BASE TABLE |
| public | system | queries | BASE TABLE |
| public | information_schema | tables | VIEW |
| public | information_schema | views | VIEW |
| public | information_schema | columns | VIEW |
| public | information_schema | df_settings | VIEW |

## List columns in a table

Use the `SHOW COLUMNS` statement to view what columns are in a table. Use the `IN` clause to specify the table.

```sql
SHOW COLUMNS IN home
```

[](#view-example-output)

View example output

| table_catalog | table_schema | table_name | column_name | data_type | is_nullable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| public | iox | home | co | Int64 | YES |
| public | iox | home | hum | Float64 | YES |
| public | iox | home | room | Dictionary(Int32, Utf8) | YES |
| public | iox | home | temp | Float64 | YES |
| public | iox | home | time | Timestamp(Nanosecond, None) | NO |

[query](/influxdb3/core/tags/query/) [sql](/influxdb3/core/tags/sql/)