View execution plans

You can view the estimated execution plan and the actual execution plan in SSMS.

1. Start SSMS and connect to the database engine.

2. Click New Query in SSMS to open the Query Editor and enter a query.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To view the estimated execution plan, select Query > Display Estimated Execution Plan.

   • To view the actual execution plan, select Query > Include Actual Execution Plan and then click Execute to run the query.

     The execution plan appears in the Execution plan tab in the Results pane.

4. To view additional information in either execution plan, hold the mouse over an operator icon to view the description and properties of the operator.