What is an alias in SQL and why is it used?

Parthiban Kannan

Updated on January 8, 2026

< 1 min read

An alias is a temporary name given to a table or column in a SQL query.
It improves readability, especially in complex queries with joins.
Aliases help shorten long table or column names.
In my project, we used aliases for fact and dimension tables.
This made join conditions easier to understand and maintain.
Column aliases were also used to show business-friendly names in reports.
Aliases exist only for the duration of the query.