SQL variables

SQL variables allow you to create configurable, reusable queries by defining placeholders that can be dynamically replaced with different values.

Using variables in SQL queries

You must first create a variable in the variable sidebar panel. Once created, variables in PostHog SQL are defined using the {variables.<variable-name>} syntax. When you write a query with variables, you'll be prompted to provide values for each variable.

For example, this query uses a variable to filter events by a specific date range:

SELECT 
    event,
    count() as count
FROM events
WHERE timestamp >= {variables.startdate}
    AND timestamp <= {variables.enddate}
GROUP BY event
ORDER BY count DESC
LIMIT 10

When you run this query, you'll be prompted to provide values for startdate and enddate.

Variable types

Variables can be used for various data types:

• String: Text values like event names or property values
• Number: Numeric values for thresholds or limits
• Date: Timestamp values for time-based filtering
• List: Lists of values for IN clauses
• Boolean: True/false values for conditional logic