set-identity-insert-transact-sql.md

title	SET IDENTITY_INSERT (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
description	Transact-SQL reference for the SET IDENTITY_INSERT statement. When set to ON, this permits inserting explicit values into the identity column of a table.
ms.date	06/10/2016
ms.prod	sql
ms.prod_service	database-engine, sql-database
ms.reviewer
ms.technology	t-sql
ms.topic	language-reference
f1_keywords	SET IDENTITY_INSERT SET_IDENTITY_INSERT_TSQL IDENTITY_INSERT_TSQL IDENTITY_INSERT
dev_langs	TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	IDENTITY_INSERT option SET IDENTITY_INSERT statement identity values [SQL Server], explicit values identity columns [SQL Server], explicit values
ms.assetid	a5dd49f2-45c7-44a8-b182-e0a5e5c373ee
author	CarlRabeler
ms.author	carlrab
monkerRange	= azuresqldb-current||>= sql-server-2016||>= sql-server-linux-2017||=azure-sqldw-latest||= sqlallproducts-allversions

SET IDENTITY_INSERT (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-asdw-xxx-md]

Allows explicit values to be inserted into the identity column of a table.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

  
SET IDENTITY_INSERT [ [ database_name . ] schema_name . ] table_name { ON | OFF }  

Arguments

database_name
Is the name of the database in which the specified table resides.

schema_name
Is the name of the schema to which the table belongs.

table_name
Is the name of a table with an identity column.

Remarks

At any time, only one table in a session can have the IDENTITY_INSERT property set to ON. If a table already has this property set to ON, and a SET IDENTITY_INSERT ON statement is issued for another table, [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] returns an error message that states SET IDENTITY_INSERT is already ON and reports the table it is set ON for.

If the value inserted is larger than the current identity value for the table, [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] automatically uses the new inserted value as the current identity value.

The setting of SET IDENTITY_INSERT is set at execute or run time and not at parse time.

Permissions

User must own the table or have ALTER permission on the table.

Examples

The following example creates a table with an identity column and shows how the SET IDENTITY_INSERT setting can be used to fill a gap in the identity values caused by a DELETE statement.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
-- Create tool table.  
CREATE TABLE dbo.Tool(  
   ID INT IDENTITY NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,   
   Name VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL  
);  
GO  
-- Inserting values into products table.  
INSERT INTO dbo.Tool(Name)   
VALUES ('Screwdriver')  
        , ('Hammer')  
        , ('Saw')  
        , ('Shovel');  
GO  
  
-- Create a gap in the identity values.  
DELETE dbo.Tool  
WHERE Name = 'Saw';  
GO  
  
SELECT *   
FROM dbo.Tool;  
GO  
  
-- Try to insert an explicit ID value of 3;  
-- should return an error:
-- An explicit value for the identity column in table 'AdventureWorks2012.dbo.Tool' can only be specified when a column list is used and IDENTITY_INSERT is ON.
INSERT INTO dbo.Tool (ID, Name) VALUES (3, 'Garden shovel');  
GO  
-- SET IDENTITY_INSERT to ON.  
SET IDENTITY_INSERT dbo.Tool ON;  
GO  
  
-- Try to insert an explicit ID value of 3.  
INSERT INTO dbo.Tool (ID, Name) VALUES (3, 'Garden shovel');  
GO  
  
SELECT *   
FROM dbo.Tool;  
GO  
-- Drop products table.  
DROP TABLE dbo.Tool;  
GO  

See Also

CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)
IDENTITY (Property) (Transact-SQL)
SCOPE_IDENTITY (Transact-SQL)
INSERT (Transact-SQL)
SET Statements (Transact-SQL)