To show SQL generated by Hibernate, set hibernate.show_sql=true. For readable output, add hibernate.format_sql=true; for ANSI-colored SQL, add hibernate.highlight_sql=true. If you need SQL sent through your application’s logging system or written to a log file, configure the org.hibernate.SQL logger instead.
Show Hibernate SQL in the console
Add these properties to hibernate.properties or the Hibernate configuration used by your application:
hibernate.show_sql=true
hibernate.format_sql=true
hibernate.highlight_sql=trueshow_sql prints generated statements as they execute. Formatting and highlighting are optional: format_sql makes statements multiline and indented, while highlight_sql adds ANSI syntax colors. Hibernate documents all three settings in its configuration guide; the JdbcSettings reference lists them as false by default: JdbcSettings.
Send SQL through your logging framework
hibernate.show_sql writes directly to standard error, not through Hibernate’s logging API. That means it can bypass appenders, filters, and file routing configured in your application. To manage SQL alongside other application logs, set the org.hibernate.SQL category to DEBUG in your SLF4J logging implementation. Hibernate documents this alternative in its configuration guide.
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For Log4j 2, the logger configuration can look like this:
logger.hibernate.name = org.hibernate.SQL
logger.hibernate.level = debugUse the configuration syntax appropriate to your logging framework; the logger category is org.hibernate.SQL.
Show bound parameter values
Hibernate’s SQL output may contain question-mark placeholders such as ?. That is expected: SQL text and the values bound to its placeholders are separate diagnostics. To inspect JDBC bind values, enable TRACE for org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.bind. To inspect values extracted from result sets, enable TRACE for org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.extract. Hibernate’s configuration guide documents both categories.
Example Log4j 2 entries:
logger.jdbc-bind.name = org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.bind
logger.jdbc-bind.level = trace
logger.jdbc-extract.name = org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.extract
logger.jdbc-extract.level = traceThese categories can produce detailed diagnostic output, so enable them only where that level of visibility is appropriate.
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Choose the right SQL diagnostic
| Need | Setting or logger | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| Quick console output | hibernate.show_sql=true |
Generated SQL written directly to standard error. |
| SQL in application logs | org.hibernate.SQL at DEBUG |
SQL routed through the logging framework. |
| Bound JDBC values | org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.bind at TRACE |
Parameter-binding diagnostics in addition to SQL text. |
| Result-set extraction details | org.hibernate.orm.jdbc.extract at TRACE |
Diagnostics about values extracted from JDBC result sets. |
| More readable SQL | hibernate.format_sql=true |
Multiline, indented statements. |
| Colored SQL | hibernate.highlight_sql=true |
ANSI syntax highlighting in output that supports it. |
Spring Boot: why spring.jpa.show-sql may not appear in a log file
spring.jpa.show-sql is a Spring Boot configuration property that enables Hibernate’s console-style SQL display. Because hibernate.show_sql writes to standard error rather than the logging API, that output may not follow the same routing as messages written by your application’s logging framework. If you want SQL managed by that framework, configure org.hibernate.SQL at DEBUG instead. Use the property format and configuration location that match your Spring Boot version and application setup.
Other useful SQL diagnostics
Add comments to generated SQL
Set hibernate.use_sql_comments=true to add comments to generated statements. This can help connect a SQL statement with the HQL that produced it. See Hibernate’s JdbcSettings reference.
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Log slow queries
hibernate.log_slow_query sets the minimum execution time, in milliseconds, for slow-query logging. Its documented default threshold is 0, which disables slow-query logging. See the JdbcSettings reference for details.
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