When working with SQL Server, performance analysis and query optimization are essential tasks. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) provides various built-in tools to help developers and DBAs troubleshoot and monitor SQL query performance. One such underrated but powerful tool is Client Statistics.
What are Client Statistics in SSMS?
Client Statistics in SSMS provide detailed information about how a query behaves from the client (SSMS) perspective, rather than from the SQL Server engine perspective.
While execution plans tell you how the query is executed, Client Statistics tell you how long each step took from the client side and help compare multiple runs of the same query.
How to Enable and Use Client Statistics in SSMS?
- Open SSMS and connect to your SQL Server.
- Open a New Query window.
- Click on the Query menu.
- Select Include Client Statistics (or press Shift + Alt + S).
- Run your SQL query.
![SQL query]()
You’ll notice a new tab named "Client Statistics" appears next to the "Results" and "Messages" tabs as above.
It will show multiple results where we can comapare persormance result as below.
Note: Statistics will show up to 10 results. After that, it will add in 10th result as the latest.
![Statistics]()
Key Metrics in Client Statistics
1. Query Profile Statistics
| Statistic |
Description |
| Number of SELECT statements |
Count of SELECT statements executed. |
| Rows returned by SELECT statements |
How many rows were returned? |
| Network packets sent/received |
Useful for analyzing network impact. |
| TDS (Tabular Data Stream) packet count |
Helps in understanding low-level client-server communication. |
2. Time Statistics
| Statistic |
Description |
| Client processing time |
Time taken by SSMS to process and display the result. |
| Total execution time |
Overall time including server processing + client overhead. |
| Wait time on server replies |
Time spent waiting for the server to respond. |
3. Aggregate Totals
When you run the same query multiple times (e.g., for performance comparison), SSMS shows:
| Statistic |
Description |
| Average |
Mean of all runs for that metric. |
| Last |
Metrics for the most recent run. |
| High |
Highest value among all runs. |
| Low |
Lowest value among all runs. |
Why Use Client Statistics?
Benefits
- Helps in query optimization.
- Assists in identifying network delays.
- Aids in performance tuning during development or testing.
- Enables comparative analysis of different query versions.
Real-World Scenario Example
Suppose you're optimizing a stored procedure. You can,
- Enable client statistics.
- Run the stored procedure once with your original query.
- Modify your query (e.g., by adding an index or changing a join).
- Re-run and compare the Total execution time, Network packets, and Rows returned.
This helps you quantify improvements or spot regressions easily.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
- Client Statistics reflect client-side performance, not full server-side analysis.
- They don't replace Execution Plans or Dynamic Management Views (DMVs).
- Useful mainly during development or testing, not in production environments.
Conclusion
Client Statistics in SSMS are a simple yet powerful feature to understand query performance from the client perspective. Though often overlooked, they are valuable for developers and DBAs working on performance tuning and query optimization.
Next time you run a SQL query in SSMS, give Client Statistics a try – it might give you insights you weren't expecting!