How to Use Outer Join MS Access

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to set up an outer join query in MS Access.

Quick summary

An outer join in MS Access lets you retrieve all records from one table and only matching records from another, making it ideal for identifying unmatched data across related tables. This Query Design walkthrough shows you exactly how to configure join properties and run the query step by step.

Steps

Go to the Create tab in the ribbon.
Click Query Design.
Select the tables you want to join from the list and click Add Selected Tables.
Drag a field from one table to the related field in the other table to create a join line between the tables.
Right-click the join line between the tables and select Join Properties.
Select the option to include all records from the left table and only those records from the right table where the joined fields are equal.
Click OK to proceed.
Drag the fields you want to display into the query grid.
Click the Run button to see the outer join query results.

📌 Why this matters

Understanding how to use an outer join in MS Access is essential for database users who need to surface all records from a primary table — even when no matching record exists in a related table. This technique is critical for data audits, gap analysis, and reporting scenarios where missing relationships matter as much as existing ones. By mastering Query Design and Join Properties in Access, users can build more complete, accurate queries without writing raw SQL. Whether you are managing customer data, inventory, or relational datasets, outer joins give you full visibility across your database tables.

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