---
title: Use the InfluxDB v3 HTTP query API
description: Use SQL or InfluxQL and the InfluxDB v3 HTTP query API to query data in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/enterprise/query-data/execute-queries/influxdb-v3-api/
estimated_tokens: 3836
product: InfluxDB 3 Enterprise
version: enterprise
---

# Use the InfluxDB v3 HTTP query API

-   InfluxQL
-   SQL

Use the InfluxDB 3 HTTP query API to query data in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise. The API provides `GET` and `POST` endpoints for querying data and system information using SQL or InfluxQL.

#### Query using gRPC or HTTP

InfluxDB 3 supports HTTP and Flight (gRPC) query APIs. For more information about using Flight, see the [InfluxDB 3 (`influxdb3-`) client libraries](https://github.com/InfluxCommunity/).

The examples below use **cURL** to send HTTP requests to the InfluxDB 3 HTTP API, but you can use any HTTP client.

-   [Query using SQL and the HTTP API](#query-using-sql-and-the-http-api)
-   [Query using InfluxQL and the HTTP API](#query-using-influxql-and-the-http-api)

## Query using SQL and the HTTP API

Use the `/api/v3/query_sql` endpoint with the `GET` or `POST` request methods.

-   `GET`: Pass parameters in the URL query string (for simple queries)
-   `POST`: Pass parameters in a JSON object (for complex queries and readability in your code)

Include the following parameters:

-   `q`: *(Required)* The **SQL** query to execute.
-   `db`: *(Required)* The database to execute the query against.
-   `params`: A JSON object containing parameters to be used in a *parameterized query*.
-   `format`: The format of the response (`json`, `jsonl`, `csv`, `pretty`, or `parquet`). JSONL (`jsonl`) is preferred because it streams results back to the client. `pretty` is for human-readable output. Default is `json`.

### Example: Query passing URL-encoded parameters

The following example sends an HTTP `GET` request with a URL-encoded SQL query:

```bash
curl "http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_sql?db=servers&q=select+*+from+cpu+limit+5" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN"
```

### Example: Query passing JSON parameters

The following example sends an HTTP `POST` request with parameters in a JSON payload:

```bash
curl http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_sql \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" 
  --json '{"db": "server", "q": "select * from cpu limit 5"}'
```

### Query system information

Use the HTTP API `/api/v3/query_sql` endpoint to retrieve system information about your database server and table schemas in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise.

#### Examples

#### system\_ sample data

In examples, tables with `"table_name":"system_` are user-created tables for CPU, memory, disk, network, and other resource statistics collected and written by the user–for example, using the `psutil` Python library or [Telegraf](/telegraf/v1/get-started/) to collect and write system metrics to an InfluxDB 3 database.

##### Show tables

The following example sends a `GET` request that executes a `show tables` query to retrieve all user-created tables (`"table_schema":"iox"`), system tables, and information schema tables for a database:

```bash
curl "http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_sql?db=mydb&format=jsonl&q=show%20tables" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN"
```

The response body contains the following JSONL:

```jsonl
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_cpu","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_cpu_cores","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_memory","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_memory_faults","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_disk_usage","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_disk_io","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_disk_performance","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_network","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"distinct_caches","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"last_caches","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"parquet_files","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"processing_engine_plugins","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"processing_engine_triggers","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"system","table_name":"queries","table_type":"BASE TABLE"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"information_schema","table_name":"tables","table_type":"VIEW"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"information_schema","table_name":"views","table_type":"VIEW"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"information_schema","table_name":"columns","table_type":"VIEW"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"information_schema","table_name":"df_settings","table_type":"VIEW"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"information_schema","table_name":"schemata","table_type":"VIEW"}
```

A table has one of the following `table_schema` values:

-   `iox`: tables created by the user of the database.
-   `system`: tables used by the system to show information about the running database server. Some of these tables show stored information such as configurations, while others, such as the `queries` table, hold ephemeral state in memory.
-   `information_schema`: views that show schema information for tables in the database.

#### View column information for a table

The following query sends a `POST` request that executes an SQL query to retrieve information about columns in the sample `system_swap` table schema:

*Note: when you send a query in JSON, you must escape single quotes that surround field names.*

```bash
curl "http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_sql" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \
  --json '{
    "db": "mydb",
    "q": "SELECT * FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_schema = '"'iox'"' AND table_name = '"'system_swap'"'",
    "format": "jsonl"
  }'
```

The output is similar to the following:

```jsonl
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"free","ordinal_position":0,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"UInt64"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"host","ordinal_position":1,"is_nullable":"NO","data_type":"Dictionary(Int32, Utf8)"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"percent","ordinal_position":2,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"Float64","numeric_precision":24,"numeric_precision_radix":2}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"sin","ordinal_position":3,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"UInt64"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"sout","ordinal_position":4,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"UInt64"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"time","ordinal_position":5,"is_nullable":"NO","data_type":"Timestamp(Nanosecond, None)"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"total","ordinal_position":6,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"UInt64"}
{"table_catalog":"public","table_schema":"iox","table_name":"system_swap","column_name":"used","ordinal_position":7,"is_nullable":"YES","data_type":"UInt64"}
```

#### Recently executed queries

To view recently executed queries, query the `queries` system table:

```bash
curl "http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_sql" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \
  --json '{
    "db": "mydb",
    "q": "SELECT * FROM system.queries LIMIT 2",
    "format": "jsonl"
  }'
```

The output is similar to the following:

```jsonl
{"id":"cdd63409-1822-4e65-8e3a-d274d553dbb3","phase":"success","issue_time":"2025-01-20T17:01:40.690067","query_type":"sql","query_text":"show tables","partitions":0,"parquet_files":0,"plan_duration":"PT0.032689S","permit_duration":"PT0.000202S","execute_duration":"PT0.000223S","end2end_duration":"PT0.033115S","compute_duration":"P0D","max_memory":0,"success":true,"running":false,"cancelled":false}
{"id":"47f8d312-5e75-4db2-837a-6fcf94c09927","phase":"success","issue_time":"2025-01-20T17:02:32.627782","query_type":"sql","query_text":"show tables","partitions":0,"parquet_files":0,"plan_duration":"PT0.000583S","permit_duration":"PT0.000015S","execute_duration":"PT0.000063S","end2end_duration":"PT0.000662S","compute_duration":"P0D","max_memory":0,"success":true,"running":false,"cancelled":false}
```

## Query using InfluxQL and the HTTP API

Use the `/api/v3/query_influxql` endpoint with the `GET` or `POST` request methods.

-   `GET`: Pass parameters in the URL query string (for simple queries)
-   `POST`: Pass parameters in a JSON object (for complex queries and readability in your code)

Include the following parameters:

-   `q`: *(Required)* The **InfluxQL** query to execute.
-   `db`: *(Required)* The database to execute the query against.
-   `params`: A JSON object containing parameters to be used in a *parameterized query*.
-   `format`: The format of the response (`json`, `jsonl`, `csv`, `pretty`, or `parquet`). JSONL (`jsonl`) is preferred because it streams results back to the client. `pretty` is for human-readable output. Default is `json`.

### Example: Query passing URL-encoded parameters

The following example sends an HTTP `GET` request with a URL-encoded InfluxQL query:

```bash
curl "http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_influxql?db=servers&q=select+*+from+cpu+limit+5" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN"
```

### Example: Query passing JSON parameters

The following example sends an HTTP `POST` request with parameters in a JSON payload:

```bash
curl http://localhost:8181/api/v3/query_influxql \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ 
  --json '{"db": "server", "q": "select * from cpu limit 5"}'
```

#### Related

[query](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/query/) [influxql](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/influxql/) [sql](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/sql/) [python](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/python/)