SSMS – How to get two rows of tabs

If you spend much time at all in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), you’ve no doubt had trouble figuring out which query tab is the one you need.

Many DBAs and SQL Devs find themselves (despite best intentions and New Years Resolutions) with dozens of tabs open, and many of them unsaved.

Thanks to Daniel Maenle (LI|T)’s comment on a LinkedIn post, I went digging and now my life is better!

Pin Important Queries

I have some saved queries I leave open all the time for various reasons. As an example:

When I open a few new queries, typically in a frenzied troubleshooting session, it looks like this:

Yours is different by default. Note the highlighted bits. My saved queries I always use are “pinned tabs”. The Second row is New Queries that I have not yet saved.

You can change this here, with immediate effect (Tools, Options):

Hope this helps you organize your SSMS and brings you a few minutes of sanity!

Thanks for reading!

Kevin3NF

Follow @Dallas_DBAs