---
title: query format
versions: # DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT. CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY A 🤖
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
  ghes: '*'
topics:
  - Code Security
  - Code scanning
  - CodeQL
type: reference
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.codeql %}'
autogenerated: codeql-cli
intro: Autoformat QL source code.
redirect_from:
  - /code-security/codeql-cli/manual/query-format
---


<!-- Content after this section is automatically generated -->

{% data reusables.codeql-cli.man-pages-version-note %}

## Synopsis

```shell copy
codeql query format [--output=<file>] [--in-place] [--backup=<ext>] <options>... -- <file>...
```

## Description

Autoformat QL source code.

## Options

### Primary Options

#### `<file>...`

One or more `.ql` or `.qll` source files to autoformat. A dash can be
specified to read from standard input.

#### `-o, --output=<file>`

Write the formatted QL code to this file instead of the standard output
stream. Must not be given if there is more than one input.

#### `-i, --[no-]in-place`

Overwrite each input file with a formatted version of its content.

#### `--[no-]check-only`

Instead of writing output, exit with status 1 if any input files
_differ_ from their correct formatting. A message telling which files
differed will be printed to standard error unless you also give `-qq`.

#### `-b, --backup=<ext>`

When writing a file that already exists, rename the existing file to a
backup by appending this extension to its name. If the backup file
already exists, it will be silently deleted.

#### `--no-syntax-errors`

If an input file is not syntactically correct QL, pretend that it is
already correctly formatted. (Usually such a file causes the command to
terminate with an error message).

### Common options

#### `-h, --help`

Show this help text.

#### `-J=<opt>`

\[Advanced] Give option to the JVM running the command.

(Beware that options containing spaces will not be handled correctly.)

#### `-v, --verbose`

Incrementally increase the number of progress messages printed.

#### `-q, --quiet`

Incrementally decrease the number of progress messages printed.

#### `--verbosity=<level>`

\[Advanced] Explicitly set the verbosity level to one of errors,
warnings, progress, progress+, progress++, progress+++. Overrides `-v`
and `-q`.

#### `--logdir=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Write detailed logs to one or more files in the given
directory, with generated names that include timestamps and the name of
the running subcommand.

(To write a log file with a name you have full control over, instead
give `--log-to-stderr` and redirect stderr as desired.)

#### `--common-caches=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Controls the location of cached data on disk that will
persist between several runs of the CLI, such as downloaded QL packs and
compiled query plans. If not set explicitly, this defaults to a
directory named `.codeql` in the user's home directory; it will be
created if it doesn't already exist.

Available since `v2.15.2`.