GOTO (Transact-SQL)

Article
02/28/2023

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance

Alters the flow of execution to a label. The Transact-SQL statement or statements that follow GOTO are skipped and processing continues at the label. GOTO statements and labels can be used anywhere within a procedure, batch, or statement block. GOTO statements can be nested.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

  
Define the label:   
label:   
Alter the execution:  
GOTO label

Note

To view Transact-SQL syntax for SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and earlier versions, see Previous versions documentation.

Arguments

label
Is the point after which processing starts if a GOTO is targeted to that label. Labels must follow the rules for identifiers. A label can be used as a commenting method whether GOTO is used.

Remarks

GOTO can exist within conditional control-of-flow statements, statement blocks, or procedures, but it cannot go to a label outside the batch. GOTO branching can go to a label defined before or after GOTO.

Permissions

GOTO permissions default to any valid user.

Examples

The following example shows how to use GOTO as a branch mechanism.

DECLARE @Counter int;  
SET @Counter = 1;  
WHILE @Counter < 10  
BEGIN   
    SELECT @Counter  
    SET @Counter = @Counter + 1  
    IF @Counter = 4 GOTO Branch_One --Jumps to the first branch.  
    IF @Counter = 5 GOTO Branch_Two  --This will never execute.  
END  
Branch_One:  
    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch One.'  
    GOTO Branch_Three; --This will prevent Branch_Two from executing.  
Branch_Two:  
    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Two.'  
Branch_Three:  
    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Three.';