SQL Escape / Unescape

Escape or unescape SQL string literals using standard single-quote doubling

Mode:

Input

Loading editor...

Output

Output will appear here...

What is SQL Escape / Unescape

Last reviewed: April 18, 2026

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for querying and managing relational databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server.

SQL Escape / Unescape prepares text for embedding in an SQL string literal by doubling single quotes ('') and escaping backslashes. The unescape direction collapses them back to a raw string.

It is useful when building ad-hoc queries, generating seed data, writing migration scripts, or decoding quoted literals out of an SQL dump.

Why use it

Generate safe ad-hoc SQL queries from user input.
Prepare seed or migration files that contain quotes.
Decode quoted literals pulled from .sql dumps.
Audit string payloads embedded in stored procedures.
Build parametrised-query fallbacks for restricted environments.

Features

ANSI-compatible single-quote doubling
Doubles backslashes for MySQL safety
Reverses escaping on demand
SQL is handled entirely in-browser
Works with any SQL dialect that follows ANSI literal rules

How to use SQL Escape / Unescape

Choose mode. Pick Escape or Unescape.
Paste input. Drop raw text or a quoted SQL literal.
Run. Copy the escaped / unescaped string into your query.

Example (before/after)

Raw text

O'Neil — "backup\"

SQL escaped

O''Neil — "backup\\"

Common errors

SQL injection risk

Escaping alone is not a substitute for parametrised queries.

Fix: Use prepared statements whenever possible and treat this tool as a fallback.

MySQL backslash escaping differs

Some drivers also treat \ specially.

Fix: This tool doubles backslashes to stay compatible with both ANSI and MySQL behaviour.

FAQ

Does it escape double quotes?

No — ANSI SQL only requires single-quote doubling and backslash handling.

Will it prevent SQL injection?

Not on its own. Use parametrised queries as the primary defence.

What about MySQL backticks?

Backticks are identifier quotes — this tool is for string literals only.

Can I chain with JSON encoding?

Yes — encode as JSON first, then SQL-escape the resulting string.

Is input stored?

No — processing runs entirely in your browser.

Related tools

Pair SQL escape with JSON, HTML, and JS escape helpers for multi-layer encoding pipelines. You can also browse the full Encoders & Decoders category for more options.

JSON Escape

Escape JSON special characters

JavaScript Escape / Unescape

Escape or unescape JavaScript string literals with backslash, quote, Unicode, and control-character handling

XML Escape / Unescape

Escape or unescape XML special characters and numeric entities with one click

Java Escape / Unescape

Round-trip Java string literals — escape quotes, backslashes, newlines, and Unicode sequences

C# Escape / Unescape

Escape or unescape C# string literals including \x, \u, and \U Unicode escape sequences

SQL Formatter

Format SQL queries online with keyword case, indentation, and readable line breaks for cleaner MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server statements.

SQL Escape

Escape SQL special characters

JSON Stringify

Wrap a raw string in a JSON string literal — perfect for embedding content in a JSON payload

XML Stringify

Wrap an XML document in a JSON string literal for safe embedding in payloads

HTML Encoder/Decoder

Encode or decode HTML entities

HTML Entities Encoder

Encode text to HTML entities

JSON Encode/Decode

Encode or decode JSON strings