# SQL Data Explorer

> Write custom SQL queries to analyze your Analytics data and create visualizations.

Use **SQL Data Explorer** to write and execute read-only SQL queries on your data, plot the results into different types of visualizations, and add those to a dashboard. You can gain insights that might not be visible using other Analytics products.

SQL is a programming language used to communicate with databases. A basic understanding of writing SQL queries is required to use SQL Data Explorer.

> **Note:**
>
> SQL Data Explorer queries are billable based on query seconds. For more information, see the [Analytics billing page](../pricing-and-billing/pricing). For information about optimizing queries to make the most of your query seconds, see the [optimize SQL Data Explorer queries tutorial](./optimize-sql-data-explorer-queries.md).

For information about how to build and run queries, see the [run a query with SQL Data Explorer tutorial](./run-sql-data-explorer-query.md).