J.D. Hodges

Exporting query results from Microsoft SQL Server to a CSV file is one of those tasks many IT people end up doing at some point in their career. But if you’ve ever hit “Save Results As…” and found your CSV file missing the column headers, you know how annoying it can be. Luckily, there’s an easy fix, and I’m here to show you how to do it step-by-step. ⚙

TL;DR ☕️

Set up SSMS to include column headers when exporting query results by enabling the “Include column headers when copying or saving results” option. Then, run your query, right-click the results grid, and choose “Save Results As…” to get a CSV with headers. Done. 🚀

Detailed Steps

1. Turn on the “Include Column Headers” Option ✅
   • Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
   • Go to Tools > Options.
   • In the Options menu, navigate to: Query Results > SQL Server > Results to Grid.
   • Check the box that says: Include column headers when copying or saving the results.
   • Hit OK to save your changes.
2. Run Your Query
   • Write your SQL query in the editor and execute it (Ctrl+E or F5 for the shortcut lovers).
   • Make sure your results are displayed in grid view (this is the default).
3. Export the Results
   • Right-click on any part of the results grid.
   • Select Save Results As….
   • Choose where to save your file, give it a name, and hit save. Your CSV will now include column headers as the first row. Yay! 🎉

Pro Tips

• Large Data Sets: If your result set is massive, consider using SQL Server’s BULK EXPORT feature or other dedicated export tools for faster and more efficient processing.
• Handling Special Characters: If your data includes commas, tabs, or line breaks, use a CSV reader that handles quoted fields properly.
• Stay Updated: If you don’t see the “Include column headers” option, you might be using an older version of SSMS. Download the latest version here.

Reference 🔍

For more in-depth documentation, check out Microsoft’s official guide: Export Query Results as CSV with Headers.

Final Thoughts ❤️

Exporting query results with column headers in SSMS is super simple once you know where to look. This setting saves you from manually adding headers in Excel or other tools, making your workflow smoother and more efficient as well as potentially eliminating typos. Whether you’re sharing data with your team or prepping reports, hopefully this little trick can save you a ton of time. ⌛

What other SQL tips or tricks have you discovered? Let me know in the comments below and have a great day! 🙌