---
title: influxdb3 show system table
description: The influxdb3 show system table command queries data from a system table.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/reference/cli/influxdb3/show/system/table/
estimated_tokens: 893
product: InfluxDB 3 Core
version: core
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/reference/cli/influxdb3/show/system/table/
date: '2025-01-30T15:19:48-07:00'
lastmod: '2025-01-30T15:19:48-07:00'
---

The `influxdb3 show system table` command queries data from a system table.

## Usage

```bash
influxdb3 show system --database <DATABASE_NAME> table [OPTIONS] <SYSTEM_TABLE>
```

## Arguments

* **SYSTEM\_TABLE**: the system table to query

## Options

|Option|                 |                                                 Description                                                  |
|------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `-l` |    `--limit`    |            Maximum number of tables entries to display (default is `10`, `0` indicates no limit)             |
| `-o` |  `--order-by`   |                                        Order by the specified columns                                        |
| `-s` |   `--select`    |                                Select specific columns from the system table                                 |
|      |   `--format`    |                  Output format (`pretty` *(default)*, `json`, `jsonl`, `csv`, or `parquet`)                  |
|      |   `--tls-ca`    |             Path to a custom TLS certificate authority (for testing or self-signed certificates)             |
|      |`--tls-no-verify`|Disable TLS certificate verification. (**Not recommended in production**, useful for self-signed certificates)|
| `-h` |    `--help`     |                                            Print help information                                            |
|      |  `--help-all`   |                                       Print detailed help information                                        |

## Examples

* [Query a system table](#query-a-system-table)
* [Query specific columns from a system table](#query-specific-columns-from-a-system-table)
* [Query a system table and order by a specific column](#query-a-system-table-and-order-by-a-specific-column)
* [Query a system table and return JSON-formatted output](#query-a-system-table-and-return-json-formatted-output)

In the examples below, replace`DATABASE_NAME` with
the name of the database to operate on.

### Query a system table

```bash
# Query the parquet_files system table
influxdb3 show system --database DATABASE_NAME table parquet_files
```

### Query specific columns from a system table

```bash
# Select specific columns from the parquet_files system table
influxdb3 show system \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  table \
  --select table_name,size_bytes,row_count \
  parquet_files
```

### Query a system table and order by a specific column

```bash
influxdb3 show system \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  table \
  --order-by size_bytes,row_count \
  parquet_files
```

### Query a system table and return JSON-formatted output

```bash
influxdb3 show system \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  table \
  --format json \
  parquet_files
```
| Option |  | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Option |  | Description |
| -l | --limit | Maximum number of tables entries to display (default is  10 ,  0  indicates no limit) |
| -o | --order-by | Order by the specified columns |
| -s | --select | Select specific columns from the system table |
|  | --format | Output format ( pretty   (default) ,  json ,  jsonl ,  csv , or  parquet ) |
|  | --tls-ca | Path to a custom TLS certificate authority (for testing or self-signed certificates) |
|  | --tls-no-verify | Disable TLS certificate verification. ( Not recommended in production , useful for self-signed certificates) |
| -h | --help | Print help information |
|  | --help-all | Print detailed help information |