# Querying & SQL

Use this section to decide how to query Pinot, how much SQL support you need, which query engine to use, and where to look for execution controls such as quotas, cancellation, and cursors. Narrative guidance lives here. Dense syntax and endpoint detail is linked where needed.

## Start here

{% content-ref url="/pages/-LtSZUOogdMvPabsf93k" %}
[Querying Pinot](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/querying-pinot.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/l6j6tUAH628nqyQD4rSh" %}
[SQL syntax](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/sql-syntax.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/kaS1dx1rjV1tKqPDNIQj" %}
[Overview](/functions/functions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/qPhpMkSMXnNy4Sy2K07g" %}
[Query Engines (SSE vs MSE)](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/sse-vs-mse.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/Zx6h36wDZpJKu2AKV1MB" %}
[Query options, quotas, cancellation & cursors](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/query-execution-controls.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## Deep dives

For explain plans, joins, optimizer behavior, and operator details, continue into the multi-stage query docs and engine-specific material linked from [SSE vs MSE](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/sse-vs-mse.md) and [SQL syntax](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/sql-syntax.md).

## What this page covered

This page mapped the main query workflows in Pinot: learning the query path, understanding SQL behavior, finding functions, choosing between SSE and MSE, and tuning execution controls.

## Next step

Read [Querying Pinot](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/querying-pinot.md) if you want the end-to-end query flow, or [SSE vs MSE](/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql/sse-vs-mse.md) if you are deciding which engine to use.

## Related pages

* [Build with Pinot](/build-with-pinot/build-with-pinot.md)
* [Functions](/functions/functions.md)
* [Reference](/reference/reference.md)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.pinot.apache.org/build-with-pinot/querying-and-sql.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.