SQL: Query topics

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 * xref:sql:index.adoc[Redpanda SQL]
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-** xref:sql:get-started/what-is-redpanda-sql.adoc[Overview]
-*** xref:sql:get-started/oltp-vs-olap.adoc[]
-*** xref:sql:get-started/redpanda-sql-vs-postgresql.adoc[]
+// ============================================================================
+// DOC-1993 — Redpanda SQL IA (target BYOC AWS GA 2026-05-22)
+// Most placeholders below do not have linked pages until pages land (except DOC-1856). 
+// Add xrefs per ticket as pages are created.
+// ============================================================================
+// ** xref:sql:get-started/index.adoc[Get Started]
+// *** xref:sql:get-started/sql-quickstart.adoc[Quickstart]                              // DOC-1856 (in review, draft on DOC-1856 branch)
+// *** xref:sql:get-started/deploy-sql-cluster.adoc[Enable Redpanda SQL]                 // DOC-1856
+** Get Started
+*** Quickstart
+*** Enable Redpanda SQL
+*** xref:sql:get-started/what-is-redpanda-sql.adoc[Overview]
+**** xref:sql:get-started/oltp-vs-olap.adoc[]
+**** xref:sql:get-started/redpanda-sql-vs-postgresql.adoc[]
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+** xref:sql:query/index.adoc[Query data]
+*** xref:sql:query/query-redpanda-topics.adoc[Query Redpanda topics]
+*** Query Iceberg
+** Manage Redpanda SQL
+*** Configure OIDC
 ** xref:sql:troubleshoot/index.adoc[Troubleshoot]
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+*** Memory management
 
 * xref:develop:index.adoc[Develop]
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modules/sql/pages/query/index.adoc

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+= Query data
+:description: Query streaming data in Redpanda topics and lakehouse data in Iceberg tables using standard PostgreSQL syntax.
+:page-layout: index

modules/sql/pages/query/query-redpanda-topics.adoc

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+= Query Redpanda topics
+:description: Map a Redpanda topic to a SQL table and run analytical queries directly against streaming data.
+:page-topic-type: how-to
+:personas: app_developer, data_engineer
+:learning-objective-1: Map a Redpanda topic to a SQL table using a Redpanda catalog
+:learning-objective-2: Run analytical SQL queries against Redpanda topic data
+
+Map a Redpanda topic to a SQL table to run analytical queries directly against streaming data without building ETL pipelines. Redpanda SQL reads each record's fields from the topic's Protobuf schema in Schema Registry.
+
+After completing these steps, you will be able to:
+
+* [ ] {learning-objective-1}
+* [ ] {learning-objective-2}
+
+== Prerequisites
+
+Before you query a topic with SQL:
+
+* Enable the Redpanda SQL engine on your Redpanda Cloud Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) cluster. See xref:sql:get-started/sql-quickstart.adoc[Quickstart].
+* Connect to Redpanda SQL with `psql` or another PostgreSQL client. See xref:sql:connect-to-sql/index.adoc[Connect to Redpanda SQL].
+* Confirm that the Redpanda topic you want to query has a Protobuf schema registered in Schema Registry.
+
+== Map the topic to a SQL table
+
+Each Redpanda topic appears as a SQL table inside a Redpanda catalog. When you enable the SQL engine, Redpanda SQL automatically creates a catalog named `default_redpanda_connection` that points at your cluster.
+
+Define a table against the topic with `CREATE TABLE`:
+
+[source,sql]
+----
+CREATE TABLE default_redpanda_connection=>orders WITH (
+  topic = 'orders',
+  schema_subject = 'orders-value'
+);
+----
+
+Replace `orders` with your topic name and `orders-value` with the Schema Registry subject that holds the topic's value schema.
+
+The table inherits its column definitions from the registered Protobuf schema. Each top-level Protobuf field becomes a SQL column.
+
+== Run queries
+
+Query the table with standard `SELECT` syntax. The following query returns the first 10 records:
+
+[source,sql]
+----
+SELECT * FROM default_redpanda_connection=>orders LIMIT 10;
+----
+
+Aggregate and filter records using familiar PostgreSQL constructs:
+
+[source,sql]
+----
+SELECT customer_id, SUM(amount) AS total
+FROM default_redpanda_connection=>orders
+WHERE status = 'completed'
+GROUP BY customer_id
+ORDER BY total DESC
+LIMIT 10;
+----
+
+== Next steps
+
+* xref:reference:sql/sql-statements/create-table.adoc[CREATE TABLE]: full reference for the table-against-topic syntax, including all options.
+* xref:reference:sql/sql-statements/create-redpanda-catalog.adoc[CREATE REDPANDA CATALOG]: define additional Redpanda catalogs with custom connection settings.
+* xref:reference:sql/index.adoc[Redpanda SQL Reference]: supported SQL statements, clauses, data types, and functions.