How to CREATE VIEW in Amazon Redshift

Galaxy Glossary

How do I create a view in Amazon Redshift?

CREATE VIEW saves a SELECT statement as a virtual table, letting you query complex logic with a simple object name.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why create views in Amazon Redshift?

Views let you wrap complex joins and calculations into a reusable object, shield raw tables, simplify analyst SQL, and adjust logic without touching dashboards.

What is the basic CREATE VIEW syntax?

Use CREATE VIEW view_name AS SELECT … . Add OR REPLACE to update safely. WITH NO SCHEMA BINDING allows underlying table changes.

CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW paid_orders AS SELECT id, customer_id, total_amount FROM Orders WHERE total_amount > 0;

How do I join multiple tables in a view?

Write any valid SELECT. Redshift stores only the SQL, so each query hits current data.

CREATE VIEW customer_order_totals AS SELECT c.id, c.name, SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value FROM Customers c JOIN Orders o ON o.customer_id = c.id GROUP BY c.id, c.name;

How can I replace a view without breaking dashboards?

Add OR REPLACE so the object ID remains; privileges and dependencies stay intact.

How do I secure columns with views?

Create a view that exposes only allowed columns, grant SELECT on the view, and revoke direct table access to enforce security.

What are best practices for CREATE VIEW?

Name views by business purpose.
Alias every column.
Avoid SELECT *.
Add comments describing intent.
Monitor SVV_VIEW_INFO for invalid views.

What pitfalls should I avoid?

Don’t embed volatile functions like GETDATE() unless you expect re-evaluation each query. Avoid heavy aggregations in high-traffic views; materialize them instead.

Why How to CREATE VIEW in Amazon Redshift is important

How to CREATE VIEW in Amazon Redshift Example Usage


CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW top_selling_products AS
SELECT p.id,
       p.name,
       SUM(oi.quantity) AS total_sold,
       SUM(oi.quantity * p.price) AS revenue
FROM OrderItems oi
JOIN Products p ON p.id = oi.product_id
GROUP BY p.id, p.name
HAVING SUM(oi.quantity) > 100;

How to CREATE VIEW in Amazon Redshift Syntax


CREATE [ OR REPLACE ] VIEW view_name [ (column1 [, ...] ) ]
AS select_query
[ WITH NO SCHEMA BINDING ];

-- Example
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW recent_orders AS
SELECT o.id,
       o.order_date,
       c.name AS customer_name,
       o.total_amount
FROM Orders o
JOIN Customers c ON c.id = o.customer_id
WHERE o.order_date >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '30 day';

Common Mistakes

Using SELECT * inside the view. When a new column is added to a base table, the view breaks or returns unexpected results. Fix by listing columns explicitly and aliasing each one.
Forgetting OR REPLACE when modifying a view. Dropping and recreating a view removes permissions and breaks dependencies. Always use CREATE OR REPLACE to keep the same object ID.