


How to read the output of the EXPLAIN command and which columns are important?
Jun 14, 2025 am 12:02 AMWhen running the EXPLAIN command, you should first pay attention to four core contents: connection type, index usage, number of scanned lines and additional information. 1. The connection type (such as eq_ref, const, ref is efficient, and ALL is inefficient) reflects the table connection efficiency; 2. Index-related fields (key, key_len, ref) show whether the index is used correctly; 3. The rows column estimates the number of rows scanned by query, and large values ??indicate potential performance problems; 4. Extra information (such as Using filesort and Using temporary need to be avoided, Using index is an ideal state) provides optimization direction. Optimization strategies include: prioritizing efficient join types, adding or adjusting indexes to improve query efficiency, and reducing unnecessary temporary tables and file sorting operations.
When you run an EXPLAIN
command in SQL (especially in systems like MySQL or PostgreSQL), it shows you how the database plans to execute your query. Understanding this output helps you identify performance bottlenecks and optimize your queries accordingly.
Here's a breakdown of what to look for and which columns really matter when reading the output of EXPLAIN
.
1. Type of Join ( type
or Join Type
)
This tells you how tables are joined together, and it's one of the most important indicators of query efficiency.
In MySQL, the type
column shows the join type. Here's what the values ??typically mean:
- system : Very fast, only one row in the table.
- const : Fast, based on a primary key or unique index lookup.
- eq_ref : Usually used when joining with a primary key or unique index — very efficient.
- ref : Uses a non-unique index; multiple rows might be scanned.
- range : Scans a range of index values ??— better than scanning all rows.
- index : Full scan of the index tree (not ideal).
- ALL : Full table scan — usually bad unless the table is tiny.
In PostgreSQL, this info appears more indirectly through the "Index Scan" or "Seq Scan" entries.
What to do:
- Aim for
eq_ref
,const
, orref
types. - Avoid
ALL
if possible — that means no index is being used effectively.
2. Which Indexes Are Used ( key
, key_len
, ref
)
These columns tell you whether and how indexes are helping your query.
- key : The index actually used.
- key_len : How many bytes of the index are used — useful for composite indexes.
- ref : Which column or constant was used with the index.
If key
is NULL
, that means no index is being used — a red flag for performance issues.
Tips:
- Make sure frequently queried columns have indexes.
- Composite indexes can help but need to match the query structure.
- If
key_len
is shorter than expected, maybe not the whole index is used.
3. Number of Rows Examined ( rows
)
The rows
column gives you an estimate of how many rows MySQL thinks it needs to examine to process this part of the query.
It's not always 100% accurate, but it's a good ballpark.
What to watch out for:
- Large numbers here suggest inefficiency.
- If you're filtering with a WHERE clause and
rows
is still high, maybe the index isn't selective enough or isn't being used properly.
4. Extra Information ( Extra
)
This column often contains critical hints about what's going on behind the scenes.
Common messages include:
- Using filesort : Sorting done outside the index — avoid if possible.
- Using temporary : A temporary table is created during processing — also something to optimize away.
- Using where : Filtering is happening after retrieving rows — could be OK depending on context.
- Using index : Good! The query is using a covering index.
Action items:
- Try to eliminate "filesort" and "temporary" by improving indexes or restructuring queries.
- "Using index" is your friend — it means less disk I/O.
Final Notes
Understanding EXPLAIN
output doesn't require memorizing every field. Focus on a few key columns — type
, key
, rows
, and Extra
. These will give you most of what you need to start optimizing.
And remember, even small changes — like adding a missing index or reordering a JOIN — can make a big difference in performance.
Basically that's it.
The above is the detailed content of How to read the output of the EXPLAIN command and which columns are important?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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