sqlcmd

Connect to SQL Server locally

$ sqlcmd -S [localhost] -U [sa] -P "[password]"

$ sqlcmd -S [server.example.com] -U [username] -P "[password]"

$ sqlcmd -S [server] -U [user] -P "[password]" -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"

$ sqlcmd -S [server] -U [user] -P "[password]" -i [script.sql]

$ sqlcmd -S [server] -U [user] -P "[password]" -Q "[query]" -o [output.txt]

$ sqlcmd -S [server] -E

$ sqlcmd -S [server] -U [user] -P "[password]" -No

sqlcmd [-S server] [-U login] [-P password] [options]

sqlcmd is Microsoft's command-line utility for SQL Server and Azure SQL. It allows executing Transact-SQL statements, stored procedures, and SQL scripts interactively or in batch mode. Two implementations exist: the newer Go-based version (go-sqlcmd) and the traditional ODBC-based version.
The utility supports various authentication methods including SQL Server authentication, Windows/Kerberos authentication, and Azure Active Directory. Results can be output to the terminal, files, or piped to other commands.
In interactive mode, commands like :quit exit the session, GO executes the statement batch, and :r includes a script file. The prompt shows the current line number.

-S server

SQL Server instance to connect to. Format: [protocol:]server[\instance][,port].

User login name.

Password for the login.

Use Windows Authentication (trusted connection).

Initial database to use.

Execute query and exit.

Execute query and enter interactive mode.

Input file containing SQL statements.

Output file for results.

Encryption mode: o (optional), m (mandatory, default in 2025), s (strict).

Encryption optional (shorthand).

Trust server certificate.

Query timeout in seconds.

Login timeout in seconds.

Rows between column headers (-1 to disable).

Column separator character.

Screen width for output.

Display help for ODBC sqlcmd flags.

Display help for go-sqlcmd subcommands.

Starting with SQL Server 2025, mandatory encryption (-Nm) is the default, which is a breaking change from earlier versions. Use -No for optional encryption when connecting to older servers. Password on command line is visible in process listings; consider using environment variables or prompts instead. Linux requires the mssql-tools package from Microsoft repositories.

sqlcmd was introduced by Microsoft as the replacement for the older osql and isql utilities. The ODBC-based version has been available since SQL Server 2005 and was ported to Linux when SQL Server on Linux was released in 2017. In 2022, Microsoft released go-sqlcmd, a Go-based reimplementation with modern features and cross-platform support. Development continues with SQL Server 2025 adding TDS 8.0 support.

mssql-cli(1), psql(1), mysql(1), bcp(1)