> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://new.docs.falkordb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# GRAPH.EXPLAIN

> Returns a query execution plan without running the query

Constructs a query execution plan but does not run it. Inspect this execution plan to better
understand how your query will get executed.

Arguments: `Graph name, Query`

Returns: `String representation of a query execution plan`

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from falkordb import FalkorDB
  client = FalkorDB()
  graph = client.select_graph('us_government')
  query = "MATCH (p:President)-[:BORN]->(h:State {name:'Hawaii'}) RETURN p"
  result = graph.explain(query)
  print(result)
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  import { FalkorDB } from 'falkordb';
  const client = await FalkorDB.connect();
  const graph = client.selectGraph('us_government');
  const query = "MATCH (p:President)-[:BORN]->(h:State {name:'Hawaii'}) RETURN p";
  const result = await graph.explain(query);
  console.log(result);
  ```

  ```java Java theme={null}
  import com.falkordb.*;

  Driver driver = FalkorDB.driver("localhost", 6379);
  Graph graph = driver.graph("us_government");
  String query = "MATCH (p:President)-[:BORN]->(h:State {name:'Hawaii'}) RETURN p";
  String result = graph.explain(query);
  System.out.println(result);
  ```

  ```rust Rust theme={null}
  use falkordb::{FalkorClientBuilder, FalkorConnectionInfo};

  let connection_info: FalkorConnectionInfo = "falkor://127.0.0.1:6379"
      .try_into().expect("Invalid connection info");
  let client = FalkorClientBuilder::new()
      .with_connection_info(connection_info)
      .build().expect("Failed to build client");
  let graph = client.select_graph("us_government");
  let query = r#"MATCH (p:President)-[:BORN]->(h:State {name:'Hawaii'}) RETURN p"#;
  let result = graph.explain(query)?;
  println!("{}", result);
  ```

  ```bash Shell theme={null}
  GRAPH.EXPLAIN us_government "MATCH (p:President)-[:BORN]->(h:State {name:'Hawaii'}) RETURN p"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does GRAPH.EXPLAIN actually execute the query?">
    No. `GRAPH.EXPLAIN` only constructs the execution plan without running the query. No data is read or modified. Use `GRAPH.PROFILE` if you want to execute the query and see runtime metrics.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What can I learn from the execution plan?">
    The execution plan shows the sequence of operations (scans, filters, traversals, projections) the engine will perform. This helps you understand whether indexes are being used and identify potential performance bottlenecks.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I know if my query is using an index?">
    In the execution plan output, look for operations like `Index Scan` instead of `Node By Label Scan`. An index scan indicates the query is leveraging an index for faster lookups.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use GRAPH.EXPLAIN with parameterized queries?">
    Yes. You can pass parameterized queries to `GRAPH.EXPLAIN` using the same `CYPHER param=val` syntax as `GRAPH.QUERY`.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>