How do you use an execution plan to debug a slow query?hard

Type
scenario
Topic
explain-plan
Frequency
common
Tags
query-plan, performance, indexes
Answer

Check scan types, join order, estimated versus actual rows, sort steps, and index usage.

Explanation

Execution plans show how the database intends to run a query. Large sequential scans, bad estimates, missing indexes, or expensive sorts often explain latency.

Follow-upWhy can stale statistics lead to a poor query plan?