---
title: Response data formats
description: While the textual format is nice for humans, computers prefer something more structured. Elasticsearch SQL can return the data in the following formats...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-rest-format
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Response data formats

While the textual format is nice for humans, computers prefer something more structured.
Elasticsearch SQL can return the data in the following formats which can be set either through the `format` property in the URL or by setting the `Accept` HTTP header:
<note>
  The URL parameter takes precedence over the `Accept` HTTP header. If neither is specified then the response is returned in the same format as the request.
</note>


| format         | `Accept` HTTP header        | Description                                                                                                    |
|----------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Human Readable |                             |                                                                                                                |
| `csv`          | `text/csv`                  | [Comma-separated values](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values)Comma-separated values           |
| `json`         | `application/json`          | [JSON](https://www.json.org/)JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) human-readable format                           |
| `tsv`          | `text/tab-separated-values` | [Tab-separated values](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab-separated_values)Tab-separated values                 |
| `txt`          | `text/plain`                | CLI-like representation                                                                                        |
| `yaml`         | `application/yaml`          | [YAML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML)YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language) human-readable format              |
| Binary Formats |                             |                                                                                                                |
| `cbor`         | `application/cbor`          | [Concise Binary Object Representation](https://cbor.io/)Concise Binary Object Representation                   |
| `smile`        | `application/smile`         | [Smile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smile_(data_interchange_format))Smile binary data format similar to CBOR |

The `CSV` format accepts a formatting URL query attribute, `delimiter`, which indicates which character should be used to separate the CSV values. It defaults to comma (`,`) and cannot take any of the following values: double quote (`"`), carriage-return (`\r`) and new-line (`\n`). The tab (`\t`) can also not be used, the `tsv` format needs to be used instead.
Here are some examples for the human readable formats:

## CSV

```json

{
  "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
  "fetch_size": 5
}
```

which returns:
```text
author,name,page_count,release_date
Peter F. Hamilton,Pandora's Star,768,2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
Vernor Vinge,A Fire Upon the Deep,613,1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Frank Herbert,Dune,604,1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Alastair Reynolds,Revelation Space,585,2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z
James S.A. Corey,Leviathan Wakes,561,2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
```

or:
```json

{
    "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
    "fetch_size": 5
}
```

which returns:
```text
author;name;page_count;release_date
Peter F. Hamilton;Pandora's Star;768;2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
Vernor Vinge;A Fire Upon the Deep;613;1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Frank Herbert;Dune;604;1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Alastair Reynolds;Revelation Space;585;2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z
James S.A. Corey;Leviathan Wakes;561;2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
```


## JSON

```json

{
  "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
  "fetch_size": 5
}
```

Which returns:
```json
{
  "columns": [
    {"name": "author",       "type": "text"},
    {"name": "name",         "type": "text"},
    {"name": "page_count",   "type": "short"},
    {"name": "release_date", "type": "datetime"}
  ],
  "rows": [
    ["Peter F. Hamilton",  "Pandora's Star",       768, "2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z"],
    ["Vernor Vinge",       "A Fire Upon the Deep", 613, "1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z"],
    ["Frank Herbert",      "Dune",                 604, "1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z"],
    ["Alastair Reynolds",  "Revelation Space",     585, "2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z"],
    ["James S.A. Corey",   "Leviathan Wakes",      561, "2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z"]
  ],
  "cursor": "sDXF1ZXJ5QW5kRmV0Y2gBAAAAAAAAAAEWWWdrRlVfSS1TbDYtcW9lc1FJNmlYdw==:BAFmBmF1dGhvcgFmBG5hbWUBZgpwYWdlX2NvdW50AWYMcmVsZWFzZV9kYXRl+v///w8="
}
```


## TSV

```json

{
  "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
  "fetch_size": 5
}
```

Which returns:
```text
author	name	page_count	release_date
Peter F. Hamilton	Pandora's Star	768	2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
Vernor Vinge	A Fire Upon the Deep	613	1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Frank Herbert	Dune	604	1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Alastair Reynolds	Revelation Space	585	2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z
James S.A. Corey	Leviathan Wakes	561	2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
```


## TXT

```json

{
  "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
  "fetch_size": 5
}
```

Which returns:
```text
     author      |        name        |  page_count   |      release_date
-----------------+--------------------+---------------+------------------------
Peter F. Hamilton|Pandora's Star      |768            |2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
Vernor Vinge     |A Fire Upon the Deep|613            |1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Frank Herbert    |Dune                |604            |1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Alastair Reynolds|Revelation Space    |585            |2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z
James S.A. Corey |Leviathan Wakes     |561            |2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
```


## YAML

```json

{
  "query": "SELECT * FROM library ORDER BY page_count DESC",
  "fetch_size": 5
}
```

Which returns:
```yaml
columns:
- name: "author"
  type: "text"
- name: "name"
  type: "text"
- name: "page_count"
  type: "short"
- name: "release_date"
  type: "datetime"
rows:
- - "Peter F. Hamilton"
  - "Pandora's Star"
  - 768
  - "2004-03-02T00:00:00.000Z"
- - "Vernor Vinge"
  - "A Fire Upon the Deep"
  - 613
  - "1992-06-01T00:00:00.000Z"
- - "Frank Herbert"
  - "Dune"
  - 604
  - "1965-06-01T00:00:00.000Z"
- - "Alastair Reynolds"
  - "Revelation Space"
  - 585
  - "2000-03-15T00:00:00.000Z"
- - "James S.A. Corey"
  - "Leviathan Wakes"
  - 561
  - "2011-06-02T00:00:00.000Z"
cursor: "sDXF1ZXJ5QW5kRmV0Y2gBAAAAAAAAAAEWWWdrRlVfSS1TbDYtcW9lc1FJNmlYdw==:BAFmBmF1dGhvcgFmBG5hbWUBZgpwYWdlX2NvdW50AWYMcmVsZWFzZV9kYXRl+v///w8="
```
