---
title: Previous versions of SQL Server documentation
description: Accessing Online and Offline SQL Server documentation
ms.prod: sql
ms.technology: install
ms.topic: conceptual
author: markingmyname
ms.author: maghan
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.date: 05/08/2020
monikerRange: "=sql-server-previousversions||>=sql-server-2016||=sqlallproducts-allversions"
---

# Previous versions of SQL Server documentation

The documentation for several older versions of Microsoft SQL Server has been archived. This article describes how to access documentation for previous versions in both online and offline formats.

## Online documentation

There is online documentation for several older versions of SQL Server.

- [2005 – 2012](https://docs.microsoft.com/previous-versions/sql/)
- [2014](../2014/2014-toc/index.yml?view=sql-server-2014)
- [2016 and later](../sql-server/index.yml?view=sql-server-2016)

## Offline documentation

There is offline documentation for several older versions of SQL Server.

To access offline content for SQL Server versions 2012 and later, see [Install SQL Server documentation to view offline in SSMS](sql-server-offline-documentation.md).

> [!IMPORTANT]
> SQL 2014 Transact-SQL content is only available offline.

## Lifecycle policy

Review the Microsoft Product Lifecycle for information about how a specific product, service, or technology is supported:

- [Microsoft Lifecycle Policy](https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/selectindex)

## Next steps

- [SQL Server online documentation](../sql-server/index.yml?view=sql-server-2016)
- [SQL Server 2014 online documentation](../2014/2014-toc/index.yml?view=sql-server-2014)
- [Install SQL Server documentation to view offline in SSMS](sql-server-offline-documentation.md)
- [Versioning system for SQL documentation](../sql-server/versioning-system-monikers-ui-sql-server.md?view=sql-server-2016)