RAWQL / LOCAL SQL WITH DUCKDB

Your first query in RawQL

Import a file, inspect its columns and run SQL on your own computer. RawQL uses DuckDB WebAssembly inside your desktop browser.

RawQL is in invite-only beta. These guides and sample files are public. You need beta access to run the examples in the editor.

1. Open your workspace

Request beta access or sign in with your account email and code. Access follows your account; the files and queries in a browser workspace do not sync to another device.

2. Import a local file

Open Databases, then Data files. Drop a CSV, JSON, Parquet, XLSX or XLS file into the file drop zone, or click it to choose one. The current beta accepts up to three loaded files and 100 MB per file. Device memory also affects what you can query comfortably.

RawQL creates a view over each imported file. Punctuation in the filename becomes underscores: orders.csv appears as orders_csv. Look in the catalog for the actual name and column types. Imported file contents stay on your device.

3. Preview the data

Download the sample orders CSV, import it, then open a SQL file under Workspaces. Run this query:

SELECT * FROM orders_csv
ORDER BY order_id
LIMIT 10;

The sample contains six fictional orders. Use Run query for the selected SQL or the statement at your cursor. Use Run all when a script contains several statements that must run in sequence.

4. Inspect and export results

Review rows in the result grid, switch to a chart or pivot when useful, and export the result. A column profile in the database explorer helps check value distributions and missing values. SQL runs locally; no database server connection is needed.

5. Save what you need

SQL worksheets and notebooks are kept in browser storage. Imported data and database views belong to the running session. Refreshing, clearing site data or switching browsers can leave you without the files needed by a saved query.

Before leaving, export results or use Workspace snapshot in Workspaces to download a .rawql archive. Inspect its inventory before restoring it. A snapshot is a local file you manage; it is not a cloud backup.

Pick a worked example

• CSV: filter orders, aggregate revenue and join customers.
• Parquet: inspect types, choose columns and group results.
• Excel: query a worksheet and clean numeric values.

When a query fails

• Table not found: confirm the file is loaded in this session and use its catalog name.
• Column not found: check spelling and quote names with spaces, such as "Order total".
• Unexpected types: inspect columns before aggregating. Use TRY_CAST to find values that cannot be converted.
• Large result: select only useful columns and add a LIMIT while exploring.

For the SQL dialect, see the DuckDB SQL documentation. See the privacy policy for the distinction between local data and account information.