---
title: DuckDB statements
description: DuckDB SQL statements reference
---

Reference documentation for DuckDB SQL statements. These statements work in both local DuckDB and MotherDuck cloud environments.

**Common operations:**
- **Data manipulation**: `SELECT`, `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, `DELETE`
- **Schema management**: `CREATE TABLE`, `ALTER TABLE`, `DROP`
- **Data loading**: `COPY`, `EXPORT`
- **Advanced queries**: `PIVOT`, `UNPIVOT`

## Included pages

- [ALTER TABLE](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/alter-table): ALTER TABLE statement for modifying table structure in DuckDB.
- [ATTACH/DETACH](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/attach-detach): ATTACH and DETACH statements for connecting to external databases in DuckDB.
- [CALL](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/call): CALL statement for executing table functions in DuckDB.
- [COMMENT ON](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/comment-on): COMMENT ON statement for adding descriptions to database objects in DuckDB.
- [COPY](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/copy): COPY statement for importing and exporting data in DuckDB.
- [CREATE INDEX](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/create-index): Use CREATE INDEX to speed up point lookups and highly selective queries in MotherDuck.
- [CREATE MACRO](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/create-macro): CREATE MACRO statement for defining reusable SQL expressions in DuckDB.
- [CREATE TABLE](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/create-table): CREATE TABLE statement for defining new tables in DuckDB.
- [DELETE](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/delete): DELETE statement for removing rows from DuckDB tables.
- [DROP](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/drop): DROP statement for removing tables, views, and other objects in DuckDB.
- [EXPORT](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/export): EXPORT statement for exporting database contents to files in DuckDB.
- [INSERT](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/insert): INSERT statement for adding rows to tables in DuckDB.
- [PIVOT](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/pivot): PIVOT statement for transforming rows to columns in DuckDB.
- [SELECT](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/select): SELECT statement syntax and options in DuckDB.
- [SET/RESET](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/set-reset): SET and RESET statements for configuring DuckDB session options.
- [UNPIVOT](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/unpivot): UNPIVOT statement for transforming columns to rows in DuckDB.
- [UPDATE](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/update): UPDATE statement for modifying existing rows in DuckDB tables.
- [USE](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/use): USE statement for changing the default database or schema in DuckDB.
- [VACUUM](https://motherduck.com/docs/sql-reference/duckdb-sql-reference/duckdb-statements/vacuum): VACUUM statement for optimizing storage in DuckDB.


---

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