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Zequel provides comprehensive settings to customize your database management experience. Access settings at any time by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+, or selecting Settings from the application menu.

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Application Settings

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Theme

Control the appearance of Zequel. Available Options:
  • System (default): Automatically matches your operating system theme
  • Light: Always use light mode
  • Dark: Always use dark mode
How to Change:
  1. Open Settings (Cmd/Ctrl+,)
  2. Select your preferred theme
  3. The change applies immediately
You can also change the theme from the menu: View → Appearance → [System/Light/Dark]
When using System theme, Zequel automatically switches between light and dark mode based on your OS settings. This happens instantly without restarting the app.
Adjust the width of the left sidebar to show more or less of your database schema. Range: 200px - 500px
Default: 280px How to Adjust:
  • Drag the sidebar edge to resize
  • Or set a specific value in Settings

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Editor Settings

Customize the SQL code editor powered by Monaco Editor.

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Font Size

Range: 10 - 24
Default: 14 Control the size of code text in the SQL editor. 
-- Font size 14 (default)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE active = true;

-- Font size 18 (larger)
SELECT * FROM users WHERE active = true;

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Tab Size

Range: 2 - 8
Default: 2 Set the number of spaces used for indentation. 
-- Tab size 2 (default)
SELECT
  id,
  name
FROM users;

-- Tab size 4
SELECT
    id,
    name
FROM users;

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Word Wrap

Type: Boolean
Default: false When enabled, long SQL lines wrap to the next line instead of requiring horizontal scrolling. Recommended for:
  • Small screens
  • Long query strings
  • Documentation-heavy SQL

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Minimap

Type: Boolean
Default: false Shows a code overview minimap on the right side of the editor (like in VS Code). Useful for:
  • Long SQL files
  • Quick navigation
  • Code overview
The minimap is most useful for queries longer than 50-100 lines. For shorter queries, you can disable it to save screen space.

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Line Numbers

Type: Boolean
Default: true Display line numbers in the editor gutter. Disable if:
  • You want maximum code space
  • Working on very short queries

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Grid Settings

Customize how data is displayed in table views.

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Page Size

Range: 10 - 1000
Default: 100 Number of rows to load per page when viewing table data. Considerations:
  • Smaller values (10-50): Faster load times, more pagination
  • Larger values (500-1000): Fewer pages, but slower initial load
  • Default (100): Balanced for most use cases
Very large page sizes (500+) can impact performance on tables with many columns or complex data types. Start with the default and adjust if needed.

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Alternate Row Colors

Type: Boolean
Default: true When enabled, alternating rows have different background colors for easier reading. 
┌──────┬────────┬───────────┐
│ ID   │ Name   │ Email     │  ← Light background
├──────┼────────┼───────────┤
│ 1    │ Alice  │ [email protected]  │  ← Darker background
├──────┼────────┼───────────┤
│ 2    │ Bob    │ [email protected]  │  ← Light background
└──────┴────────┴───────────┘

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Query Settings

Control default behavior for SQL queries.

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Default Limit

Type: Number or null
Default: 1000 Automatically applies a LIMIT clause to SELECT queries to prevent accidentally loading millions of rows. Options:
  • Number (e.g., 1000): Limit queries to this many rows
  • null: No limit applied (use with caution)
Example: 
-- You type:
SELECT * FROM large_table;

-- Zequel executes (with default limit 1000):
SELECT * FROM large_table LIMIT 1000;
Setting default limit to null can cause performance issues or crashes if you query very large tables. Only disable this if you know what you’re doing.
You can override the default limit by explicitly adding your own LIMIT clause to any query.

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Connection-Specific Settings

Some settings are tracked per database connection session.

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Safe Mode

Type: Boolean
Default: false (per connection) Enables read-only mode for the current connection. When active:
  • No INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations allowed
  • No schema modifications (DROP, ALTER, CREATE)
  • Table data cannot be edited in the grid
  • Useful for production databases or when you want to prevent accidental changes
How to Enable:
  • Click the shield icon in the header bar
  • Or toggle in the connection menu
Safe Mode is per-session and does not persist when you disconnect. You need to re-enable it each time you connect.

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Privacy Mode

Type: Boolean
Default: false (per connection) Blurs sensitive data in the UI to prevent shoulder-surfing or accidental exposure during screen sharing. When enabled:
  • Table data is blurred
  • Query results are blurred
  • Connection strings are hidden
  • Useful for demos, screenshots, or working in public
How to Enable:
  • Click the eye icon in the header bar
  • Or toggle in the connection menu
Privacy Mode is perfect for recording tutorials or sharing your screen during meetings when working with sensitive data.

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Active Database

Type: String
Tracked per connection Zequel remembers which database you’re currently viewing within a connection (for databases that support multiple schemas like PostgreSQL, MySQL). This is tracked in-memory and resets when you disconnect.

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Active Schema (PostgreSQL only)

Type: String
Tracked per connection For PostgreSQL connections, tracks the active schema (public, private, etc.).

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Update Settings

Control how Zequel checks for updates.

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Update Channel

Available Channels:
  • Stable (default): Production releases only
  • Beta: Early access to new features
How to Change:
  • Menu: Help → Update Channel → [Stable/Beta]
Beta releases may contain bugs or incomplete features. Only use the Beta channel if you want to help test new functionality.

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Check for Updates

Manually check for updates:
  • macOS: Zequel → Check for Updates…
  • Windows/Linux: Available in Help menu
Zequel automatically checks for updates on startup. You’ll be notified when a new version is available.

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App Data Management

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Reset App Data

Completely reset Zequel to factory defaults. This will delete:
  • All saved connections
  • Query history
  • All settings
  • Recent items
  • Pinned items
How to Reset:
  1. Help → Reset App Data…
  2. Confirm the warning dialog
  3. Restart the app (recommended)
This action cannot be undone. Make sure to export any important connections or queries before resetting.

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Logs

Zequel maintains application logs for troubleshooting. Log Location:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Zequel/logs/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Zequel/logs/
  • Linux: ~/.config/Zequel/logs/
Log Format:
  • One log file per day
  • Format: YYYY-MM-DD.log
  • Contains debug, info, warning, and error messages
If you encounter issues, check the logs for error messages. Include relevant log snippets when reporting bugs.

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Settings Storage

All settings are stored locally on your machine: Storage Location:
  • Application Settings: localStorage in the renderer process
  • Connection Data: SQLite database in user data directory
  • Credentials: System keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service)
Settings are stored per installation. If you use Zequel on multiple machines, you’ll need to configure settings separately on each.

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Importing/Exporting Settings

Zequel does not currently support exporting or importing settings. Each installation maintains its own configuration. If you need to migrate settings:
  1. Note your preferred settings
  2. Manually configure them on the new installation
Connection data can be exported using the backup/export feature from the connections manager.

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