Function Reference

This chapter is the canonical reference for every SQL function registered by the BigQuery extension. Each function page contains its complete signature, parameters, defaults, result columns, configuration rules, and local validation behavior.

Use the capability pages for end-to-end workflows and examples. Use this chapter when you need to look up a function or configure a specific call.

Each function page includes commented DuckDB SQL and its result when the statement returns rows. The examples use the placeholder projects, datasets, and tables introduced on the Home page. Job examples select stable result fields because generated IDs, timestamps, locations, and byte counts vary between executions.

Discover Functions through SQL

After loading the extension, query duckdb_functions() to discover its functions, descriptions, parameter names and types, examples, and categories:

LOAD bigquery;

SELECT
    function_name,
    function_type,
    description,
    parameters,
    parameter_types,
    varargs,
    examples,
    categories
FROM duckdb_functions()
WHERE starts_with(function_name, 'bigquery_')
ORDER BY function_name;

Each name in parameters corresponds to the type at the same position in parameter_types. The varargs field describes additional positional arguments, such as the values bound to ? placeholders by bigquery_query. Table-function examples are complete SELECT statements; the scalar bigquery_normalize_geography example is an expression to use in a SELECT.

Read Functions

• bigquery_scan
  Read one native BigQuery table through the Storage Read API. Reading and Queries →

• bigquery_query
  Run GoogleSQL and return its rows. Reading and Queries →

Job and Transfer Functions

• bigquery_execute
  Run GoogleSQL and return execution metadata. Execute GoogleSQL →

• bigquery_load
  Load local files, Cloud Storage objects, or DuckDB relations into BigQuery. Load Data →

• bigquery_extract
  Export a BigQuery table to Cloud Storage. Extract Data →

• bigquery_jobs
  List BigQuery jobs or retrieve one job. Monitor Jobs →

Utilities and Compatibility

• bigquery_attach
  Create local views for the native tables in one dataset. ATTACH Compatibility Helper →

• bigquery_clear_cache
  Clear metadata caches for attached BigQuery catalogs. Refresh Metadata →

• bigquery_normalize_geography
  Normalize a geometry for BigQuery geography semantics. Data Type Mapping →

Many functions accept either a Google Cloud project ID or the name of an attached BigQuery catalog as their first argument. A catalog reuses its project, billing project, endpoint, credentials, access mode, and transaction context. Per-call options that would conflict with catalog-owned configuration are rejected. Each function page documents the exact rule.

For non-function interfaces, use the topic pages in the main navigation.