# The `useDFE` SPARQL query hint
<a name="sparql-query-hints-useDFE"></a>

Use this query hint to enable use of the DFE for executing the query. By default Neptune does not use the DFE without this query hint being set to `true`, because the [neptune\_dfe\_query\_engine](parameters.md#parameters-instance-parameters-neptune_dfe_query_engine) instance parameter defaults to `viaQueryHint`. If you set that instance parameter to `enabled`, the DFE engine is used for all queries except those having the `useDFE` query hint set to `false`.

Example of enabling use of the DFE for a query:

```
PREFIX : <https://example.com/>
PREFIX hint: <http://aws.amazon.com/neptune/vocab/v01/QueryHints#>

SELECT ?john ?jane
{
  hint:Query hint:useDFE true .
  ?person1 :name "Jane" .
  ?person1 :likes ?person2 .
  ?person2 :name "John" .
  ?person2 :likes ?person1 .
}
```