# SQL Shell
SQL Shell in the Materialize console
The Materialize Console provides a **SQL
Shell**, where you can issue your queries. Materialize follows the SQL standard
(SQL-92) implementation, and strives for compatibility with the PostgreSQL
dialect. If your query takes too long to complete, the SQL Shell provides
**Query Insights** listing some possible causes.

![Image of the Materialize Console SQL Shell](/images/console/console.png "Materialize Console SQL Shell")

The SQL Shell also includes:

- A top navigation panel, where you can select your cluster and database and
  schema.

- A [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart/) tutorial. You can close the
  Quickstart by clicking the **Close Quickstart** button in the top-right
  corner.