Category: SQL Server

by Nerea Soler Benavent 2026-03-27

SQL Server Management Studio 22: new features, improvements, and key considerations

Introduction

SQL Server Management Studio 22 (SSMS 22) marks a shift in Microsoft’s database administration tool. With its release as a stable version at the end of 2025 and its subsequent updates, it introduces improvements aimed at both productivity and integration with new technologies.

In this blog, we review its main advantages, some issues detected in recent versions, and practical recommendations for real‑world environments.

Main new features and advantages

1. AI integration (GitHub Copilot)

One of the most notable additions is the integration of GitHub Copilot within the query editor.

This allows us to:

Generate SQL queries automatically

Explain existing code

Propose optimizations

Reduce repetitive tasks

This becomes a useful assistant for day‑to‑day tasks, especially in environments with a high volume of operations.

Ejemplo de Copilot explicando la query ejecutada

2. Performance and user experience improvements

SSMS 22 includes multiple adjustments that, although not visible, have a direct impact on productivity:

Improved performance in the connection dialog
More stable query editor
Optimized Activity Monitor
Enhancements in cache handling and suggestions

Additionally, the use of more recent libraries and internal components contributes to a smoother overall experience.

In daily use, there are also less obvious but important improvements:

More consistent IntelliSense with fewer freezes
Better tab recovery after unexpected shutdowns
Reduced freezes during heavy queries or when exploring large objects

Ejemplo de autocompletado con IntelliSense

3. Evolution of the SQL ecosystem

Relevant improvements have been incorporated for modern scenarios:

Support for vector and JSON indexes
Improvements to the Database Tuning Advisor
Stronger integration with Azure and hybrid environments
Initial compatibility with Arm64 architectures

This approach reinforces SSMS’s role as a key tool not only in on‑premises environments, but also in cloud architectures.

4. Exporting results to new formats

A practical and very visible improvement in SSMS 22 is the expanded set of formats for exporting query results directly from the interface.

Ahora es posible guardar resultados en:

CSV
Text
JSON
XML
Excel
Markdown

In previous versions of SSMS, these options were much more limited:

Mainly CSV and TXT
JSON required using FOR JSON manually
Excel required using the Export Wizard
Markdown was not available

5. Fixes for long‑standing issues

SSMS 22 has also addressed well‑known issues present in previous versions:

Failures in Activity Monitor
Errors in the query editor
Issues in the connection dialog
Incidents related to authentication and token caching

Additionally, several small issues that affected day‑to‑day usage have been fixed:

Issues with multi‑monitor setups
Incorrectly positioned windows
Improved stability with recent connections

Known bugs and current limitations

Despite the improvements, version 22 still has several issues.

Known issues

Some detected examples:

Limitations on Arm64 devices (especially with SSIS/SSAS)
Issues in designers (incomplete JSON support in certain views)
Limitations when importing connections from previous versions

Conflicts with extensions

A relevant case is the incompatibility with certain versions of external tools:

Older versions of SQL Doc can cause unexpected crashes in SSMS 22.3.

Issues related to Copilot

Although it is generally a positive addition, the integration with Copilot has introduced a few points to keep in mind:

High resource consumption in certain scenarios
Issues with open connections
Dependence on external configuration (accounts, permissions, etc.)

Recent updates and evolution

SSMS 22 is receiving frequent updates, such as version 22.4.1 released this month, focused on:

Introduction of the Database DevOps workload, aimed at database project management and its integration with version control
Improved connection dialog, including options such as automatically selecting the last used connection
New environment capabilities, such as grouping objects by schema in Object Explorer
New export formats available from the results grid: Excel, JSON, Markdown, and XML
General improvements in stability, performance, and tools such as the Query Hint Recommendation Tool

This is a good indicator, as it shows the product is evolving continuously.

Recommendations after its adoption

When moving to SSMS 22, some good practices would be:

Always keep SSMS updated to the latest version
Validate plugin compatibility before installing
Test new features in controlled environments before moving them to production

Conclusion

SSMS 22 represents a clear evolution compared to previous versions, especially due to the incorporation of artificial intelligence and the modernization of the environment.

Although it still has some limitations, overall it positions itself as a more powerful tool, aligned with the current needs of database administration.

In professional environments, its adoption is advisable, as long as it is accompanied by prior validation and proper update management.

Articles in the SQL Server 2025 Series

Nerea Soler Benavent