How can I query my data warehouse without writing SQL?

Summary

• Ask questions of your data warehouse in plain English and get answers back as tables and charts — no SQL required. On Databricks this is AI/BI Genie, the conversational analytics experience over your governed data.
• Genie translates natural language into SQL using your Unity Catalog table and column metadata, descriptions, key relationships, and any example queries and instructions you provide. See How Genie Agents work.
• It shows you the SQL it generated alongside the results table, so you can review and verify the query rather than trust a black box.
• You can keep the conversation going — Genie asks clarifying follow-ups when a question is ambiguous and keeps chat context, so you refine results step by step and can request a specific chart type.
• Queries run on your Databricks SQL warehouse and are governed by Unity Catalog: every query is read-only, users see only data they are authorized to access, and every interaction is logged for audit.

How can I query my data warehouse without writing SQL?

You query your data warehouse without writing SQL by asking questions in plain English and letting an AI assistant translate them into governed queries. On Databricks, that assistant is AI/BI Genie — a conversational analytics experience that lets anyone ask questions of their data warehouse tables and get answers back as tables and visualizations, regardless of SQL knowledge. See AI/BI Genie and How Genie Agents work.

Why Databricks Genie lets you query without SQL

• Ask in plain English. Type a question such as "What is the average order value by region?" and Genie returns an answer — no SQL, no analyst in the loop. Follow up with "now show only regions above the average" and Genie refines the result. See How Databricks Genie democratizes data access.
• Automatic natural-language-to-SQL translation. Genie converts your question into an equivalent SQL query by drawing on Unity Catalog table and column metadata — names, descriptions, and key relationships — plus any example SQL queries, SQL functions, and instructions you supply and the history of the current chat. It selects the most relevant context to answer each request. See How Genie Agents work.
• See the SQL it generated. Genie responds with the generated SQL query alongside the results table, so you can review the query behind any answer and verify the logic rather than trust an opaque result.
• Conversational, iterative exploration. If Genie can't answer confidently, it asks clarifying follow-up questions before responding, and it keeps chat context so you can build up a result progressively — and even ask it to "show that as a bar chart." Genie picks an appropriate visualization for your data automatically.
• Runs on your SQL warehouse. Genie executes its queries on your Databricks SQL warehouse, the same engine that runs SQL from the query editor, so answers use your live warehouse data. See Databricks SQL.
• Governed by Unity Catalog. Every Genie query is read-only, users see only the data they are authorized to access through Unity Catalog grants, row filters, and column masks, and every interaction is logged for audit. See How Databricks Genie democratizes data access.

Getting started

• Create a Genie Agent: pick the Unity Catalog tables it can query, then share it with your users.
• Improve accuracy by adding a business glossary, metric definitions, example SQL queries, and instructions. See Add SQL examples and instructions.
• Read AI/BI Genie is now generally available to see the full conversational analytics experience.
• Explore the Databricks AI/BI product overview to see how Genie works with dashboards.

FAQs

Do I need to know SQL to query my data warehouse with Genie?

No. You ask questions in plain English and Genie translates them into SQL for you, returning a results table and a visualization. It also shows the SQL it generated so you can review it if you want.

How does Genie know how to query my tables?

Genie uses your Unity Catalog table and column metadata — names, descriptions, and relationships — along with example SQL queries and instructions you provide, to translate a natural-language question into an equivalent SQL query.

Where do Genie's queries actually run?

Genie executes its queries on your Databricks SQL warehouse, the same engine that runs SQL from the query editor, so results reflect your live governed warehouse data.

Is querying with Genie safe and governed?

Yes. Every Genie query is read-only, users see only data they are authorized to access through Unity Catalog grants, row filters, and column masks, and every interaction is logged for audit.