docs/sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-directory-hive.md

---
layout: global
title: INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY with Hive format
displayTitle: INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY with Hive format
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### Description

The `INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY` with Hive format overwrites the existing data in the directory with the new values using Hive `SerDe`.
Hive support must be enabled to use this command. The inserted rows can be specified by value expressions or result from a query.

### Syntax

```sql
INSERT OVERWRITE [ LOCAL ] DIRECTORY directory_path
    [ ROW FORMAT row_format ] [ STORED AS file_format ]
    { VALUES ( { value | NULL } [ , ... ] ) [ , ( ... ) ] | query }
```

### Parameters

* **directory_path**

    Specifies the destination directory. The `LOCAL` keyword is used to specify that the directory is on the local file system.

* **row_format**

    Specifies the row format for this insert. Valid options are `SERDE` clause and `DELIMITED` clause. `SERDE` clause can be used to specify a custom `SerDe` for this insert. Alternatively, `DELIMITED` clause can be used to specify the native `SerDe` and state the delimiter, escape character, null character, and so on.

* **file_format**

    Specifies the file format for this insert. Valid options are `TEXTFILE`, `SEQUENCEFILE`, `RCFILE`, `ORC`, `PARQUET`, and `AVRO`. You can also specify your own input and output format using `INPUTFORMAT` and `OUTPUTFORMAT`. `ROW FORMAT SERDE` can only be used with `TEXTFILE`, `SEQUENCEFILE`, or `RCFILE`, while `ROW FORMAT DELIMITED` can only be used with `TEXTFILE`.

* **VALUES ( { value `|` NULL } [ , ... ] ) [ , ( ... ) ]**

    Specifies the values to be inserted. Either an explicitly specified value or a NULL can be inserted.
    A comma must be used to separate each value in the clause. More than one set of values can be specified to insert multiple rows.

* **query**

    A query that produces the rows to be inserted. It can be in one of following formats:
    * a `SELECT` statement
    * a `TABLE` statement
    * a `FROM` statement

### Examples

```sql
INSERT OVERWRITE LOCAL DIRECTORY '/tmp/destination'
    STORED AS orc
    SELECT * FROM test_table;

INSERT OVERWRITE LOCAL DIRECTORY '/tmp/destination'
    ROW FORMAT DELIMITED FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
    SELECT * FROM test_table;
```

### Related Statements

* [INSERT INTO statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-into.html)
* [INSERT OVERWRITE statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-table.html)
* [INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-directory.html)