---
path: docs/owl-ai/ai-sql-queries
title: "AI SQL Queries"
desc: "Generate PostGIS spatial queries with AI assistance."
date: "Apr 2, 2026"
---

# AI SQL Queries

Owl AI can generate, explain, and debug spatial SQL queries against your map datasets. Queries use PostGIS syntax and run directly against your data.

## Writing a Query with AI

1. Open Owl AI and type a question that requires data computation: "What is the average distance between hospitals and the nearest fire station?"
2. Owl AI generates a PostGIS query, shows it in the SQL editor, and explains each part.
3. Click **Run** to execute. Results appear as a new layer on the map or as a data table, depending on the output type.

## SQL Editor

You can also write queries manually in the SQL editor (accessible via the **Upload > SQL Query** menu). The editor includes:

- Schema browser showing all layers and their column names/types
- Syntax highlighting and auto-complete for PostGIS functions
- Query history
- Explain plan visualization

## Supported Functions

GISOwl supports the full PostGIS function library including geometry operations (`ST_Buffer`, `ST_Intersection`, `ST_Union`), measurements (`ST_Distance`, `ST_Area`, `ST_Length`), spatial relationships (`ST_Contains`, `ST_Within`, `ST_Intersects`, `ST_DWithin`), transformations (`ST_Transform`, `ST_Centroid`, `ST_Simplify`), and aggregations (`ST_Collect`, `ST_ConvexHull`, `ST_Extent`).

## Saving Queries

Save frequently used queries to your workspace. Saved queries can be scheduled to refresh on an interval, creating live-updating derived layers.

## Next Steps

- [Prompting Tips](/docs/owl-ai/prompting-tips) — Get better results from Owl AI.
- [Spatial Analysis](/docs/layers/spatial-analysis) — No-code spatial analysis tools.