# Simple SELECT Query

SELECT \* FROM a table returns every column and every row, the quickest way to see what a table holds.

Novice · T-SQL · SQL · Updated November 3, 2026

## After this lesson you can

- Return every column and row of a table with SELECT \*

## Key takeaways

- `SELECT * FROM Products` returns every column and every row of the table: `*` means all columns.
- `SELECT *` is the quickest way to explore a table: which columns it has, and what its data looks like.
- In application code, list the columns you need instead of using `*`.

The simplest query returns everything in a table: every column, every row. Open a **New Query** window in SSMS, choose **Northwind** in the database drop-down, and run:

```sql
SELECT *
FROM Products;
```

The `*` means **all columns**. `FROM Products` says which table. The result is all 77 products, with every column the table has:

| ProductId | ProductName | SupplierId | CategoryId | QuantityPerUnit | UnitPrice | UnitsInStock | … |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chai | 1 | 1 | 10 boxes x 20 bags | 18.00 | 39 | … |
| 2 | Chang | 1 | 1 | 24 - 12 oz bottles | 19.00 | 17 | … |
| 3 | Aniseed Syrup | 1 | 2 | 12 - 550 ml bottles | 10.00 | 13 | … |

In the bottom-right corner of the results, SSMS shows how many rows came back: **77 rows**.

## When to use SELECT \*

`SELECT *` is the quickest way to see what's in a table while you're exploring: which columns it has, and what the data looks like. Try it on a few more:

```sql
SELECT * FROM Customers;
SELECT * FROM Employees;
SELECT * FROM Categories;
```

Run the three together and SSMS shows three result grids, one under another.

In application code, though, list the columns you need instead of using `*`. The next lesson explains why.

## Check yourself

1 question to try on the lesson page.

## So what

`SELECT *` is your flashlight: point it at any table to see what's inside before you write the query you really need.

## Key terms

- [Select Star](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/select-star)

## Cheat sheets

- [Simple SELECT Query and Specifying Columns](https://www.ask-codey.com/cheat-sheets/select-in-t-sql-simple-select-query-cheat-sheet)

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/lessons/select-in-t-sql-simple-select-query