How to Rename a Table in Snowflake

Renaming a table in Snowflake is a simple task that can be accomplished using the ALTER TABLE command. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of renaming a table, including the syntax and best practices.

Syntax

To rename a table in Snowflake, you can use the following SQL syntax:

ALTER TABLE old_table_name RENAME TO new_table_name;

Example

Let’s say you have a table called employee_data and you want to rename it to staff_data. The SQL command would look like this:

ALTER TABLE employee_data RENAME TO staff_data;

Important Notes

• The ALTER TABLE statement in Snowflake is case-insensitive unless the table name is quoted when it is created.
• Renaming a table does not affect its data, schema, or structure. It only changes the table’s name.
• If the new table name already exists, Snowflake will return an error, so make sure the new name is unique.
• Only the owner or a user with appropriate privileges can rename a table.

Conclusion

Renaming a table in Snowflake is a straightforward process that can be done using the ALTER TABLE command. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily rename any table in your Snowflake database.