diff --git a/docs/python-api.rst b/docs/python-api.rst
index 134c824..dd7ac24 100644
--- a/docs/python-api.rst
+++ b/docs/python-api.rst
@@ -43,6 +43,51 @@ Connections use ``PRAGMA recursive_triggers=on`` by default. If you don't want t
 
     db = Database(memory=True, recursive_triggers=False)
 
+.. _python_api_tracing:
+
+Tracing queries
+---------------
+
+You can use the ``tracer`` mechanism to see SQL queries that are being executed by SQLite. A tracer is a function that you provide which will be called with ``sql`` and ``params`` arguments every time SQL is executed, for example:
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    def tracer(sql, params):
+        print("SQL: {} - params: {}".format(sql, params))
+
+You can pass this function to the ``Database()`` constructor like so:
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    db = Database(memory=True, tracer=tracer)
+
+You can also turn on a tracer function temporarily for a block of code using the ``with db.tracer(...)`` context manager:
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    db = Database(memory=True)
+    # ... later
+    with db.tracer(tracer):
+        db["dogs"].insert({"name": "Cleo"})
+
+Queries will be passed to your ``tracer()`` function only for the duration of the ``with`` block.
+
+Executing queries
+=================
+
+The ``db.execute()`` and ``db.executescript()`` methods provide wrappers around ``.execute()`` and ``.executescript()`` on the underlying SQLite connection. These wrappers log to the tracer function if one has been registered.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    db = Database(memory=True)
+    db["dogs"].insert({"name": "Cleo"})
+    db.execute("update dogs set name = 'Cleopaws'")
+
+.. _python_api_table:
+
+Accessing tables
+================
+
 Tables are accessed using the indexing operator, like so:
 
 .. code-block:: python
@@ -930,7 +975,7 @@ For example:
             "postalCode": "95018"
         }
     })
-    db.conn.execute("""
+    db.execute("""
         select json_extract(address, '$.addressLocality')
         from niche_museums
     """).fetchall()
@@ -979,8 +1024,8 @@ A more useful example: if you are working with `SpatiaLite <https://www.gaia-gis
     places = db["places"].create({"id": int, "name": str,})
 
     # Add a SpatiaLite 'geometry' column:
-    db.conn.execute("select InitSpatialMetadata(1)")
-    db.conn.execute(
+    db.execute("select InitSpatialMetadata(1)")
+    db.execute(
         "SELECT AddGeometryColumn('places', 'geometry', 4326, 'MULTIPOLYGON', 2);"
     )
 
diff --git a/sqlite_utils/cli.py b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
index e4ac573..7990d7d 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/cli.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ def query(
         for ext in load_extension:
             db.conn.load_extension(ext)
     with db.conn:
-        cursor = db.conn.execute(sql, dict(param))
+        cursor = db.execute(sql, dict(param))
         if cursor.description is None:
             # This was an update/insert
             headers = ["rows_affected"]
diff --git a/sqlite_utils/db.py b/sqlite_utils/db.py
index 33d28c9..0a22a3a 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/db.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/db.py
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ class Database:
         else:
             assert not recreate, "recreate cannot be used with connections, only paths"
             self.conn = filename_or_conn
-        if recursive_triggers:
-            self.conn.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers=on;")
         self._tracer = tracer
+        if recursive_triggers:
+            self.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers=on;")
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
     def tracer(self, tracer=None):
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ class Table(Queryable):
                     table=fts_table
                 )
             )
-            self.db.conn.execute(
+            self.db.execute(
                 textwrap.dedent(
                     """
                 DELETE FROM [{table}_docsize] WHERE {column} NOT IN (
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 1e1fc5e..4541689 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def fresh_db():
 @pytest.fixture
 def existing_db():
     database = Database(memory=True)
-    database.conn.executescript(
+    database.executescript(
         """
         CREATE TABLE foo (text TEXT);
         INSERT INTO foo (text) values ("one");
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 49631c9..964b6a2 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ def test_enable_fts_with_triggers(db_path):
     def search(q):
         return (
             Database(db_path)
-            .conn.execute("select c1 from Gosh_fts where c1 match ?", [q])
+            .execute("select c1 from Gosh_fts where c1 match ?", [q])
             .fetchall()
         )
 
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ def test_populate_fts(db_path):
     def search(q):
         return (
             Database(db_path)
-            .conn.execute("select c1 from Gosh_fts where c1 match ?", [q])
+            .execute("select c1 from Gosh_fts where c1 match ?", [q])
             .fetchall()
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_column_affinity.py b/tests/test_column_affinity.py
index 4a34b25..fb8f340 100644
--- a/tests/test_column_affinity.py
+++ b/tests/test_column_affinity.py
@@ -41,5 +41,5 @@ def test_column_affinity(column_def, expected_type):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("column_def,expected_type", EXAMPLES)
 def test_columns_dict(fresh_db, column_def, expected_type):
-    fresh_db.conn.execute("create table foo (col {})".format(column_def))
+    fresh_db.execute("create table foo (col {})".format(column_def))
     assert {"col": expected_type} == fresh_db["foo"].columns_dict
diff --git a/tests/test_constructor.py b/tests/test_constructor.py
index 8a790c2..b3cd963 100644
--- a/tests/test_constructor.py
+++ b/tests/test_constructor.py
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import pytest
 
 def test_recursive_triggers():
     db = Database(memory=True)
-    assert db.conn.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers").fetchone()[0]
+    assert db.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers").fetchone()[0]
 
 
 def test_recursive_triggers_off():
     db = Database(memory=True, recursive_triggers=False)
-    assert not db.conn.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers").fetchone()[0]
+    assert not db.execute("PRAGMA recursive_triggers").fetchone()[0]
diff --git a/tests/test_create.py b/tests/test_create.py
index f6fad00..30a3d0e 100644
--- a/tests/test_create.py
+++ b/tests/test_create.py
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ def test_create_index_if_not_exists(fresh_db):
 )
 def test_insert_dictionaries_and_lists_as_json(fresh_db, data_structure):
     fresh_db["test"].insert({"id": 1, "data": data_structure}, pk="id")
-    row = fresh_db.conn.execute("select id, data from test").fetchone()
+    row = fresh_db.execute("select id, data from test").fetchone()
     assert row[0] == 1
     assert data_structure == json.loads(row[1])
 
diff --git a/tests/test_create_view.py b/tests/test_create_view.py
index 26cf420..f0e2855 100644
--- a/tests/test_create_view.py
+++ b/tests/test_create_view.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from sqlite_utils.utils import OperationalError
 
 def test_create_view(fresh_db):
     fresh_db.create_view("bar", "select 1 + 1")
-    rows = fresh_db.conn.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
+    rows = fresh_db.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
     assert [(2,)] == rows
 
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def test_create_view_ignore(fresh_db):
     fresh_db.create_view("bar", "select 1 + 1").create_view(
         "bar", "select 1 + 2", ignore=True
     )
-    rows = fresh_db.conn.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
+    rows = fresh_db.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
     assert [(2,)] == rows
 
 
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ def test_create_view_replace(fresh_db):
     fresh_db.create_view("bar", "select 1 + 1").create_view(
         "bar", "select 1 + 2", replace=True
     )
-    rows = fresh_db.conn.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
+    rows = fresh_db.execute("select * from bar").fetchall()
     assert [(3,)] == rows
 
 
 def test_create_view_replace_with_same_does_nothing(fresh_db):
     fresh_db.create_view("bar", "select 1 + 1")
-    initial_version = fresh_db.conn.execute("PRAGMA schema_version").fetchone()[0]
+    initial_version = fresh_db.execute("PRAGMA schema_version").fetchone()[0]
     fresh_db.create_view("bar", "select 1 + 1", replace=True)
-    after_version = fresh_db.conn.execute("PRAGMA schema_version").fetchone()[0]
+    after_version = fresh_db.execute("PRAGMA schema_version").fetchone()[0]
     assert after_version == initial_version
diff --git a/tests/test_fts.py b/tests/test_fts.py
index b1a946d..defb886 100644
--- a/tests/test_fts.py
+++ b/tests/test_fts.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def test_disable_fts(fresh_db, create_triggers):
         expected_triggers = set()
     assert expected_triggers == set(
         r[0]
-        for r in fresh_db.conn.execute(
+        for r in fresh_db.execute(
             "select name from sqlite_master where type = 'trigger'"
         ).fetchall()
     )
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def test_disable_fts(fresh_db, create_triggers):
     table.disable_fts()
     assert (
         0
-        == fresh_db.conn.execute(
+        == fresh_db.execute(
             "select count(*) from sqlite_master where type = 'trigger'"
         ).fetchone()[0]
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_introspect.py b/tests/test_introspect.py
index bebe537..cbec0a1 100644
--- a/tests/test_introspect.py
+++ b/tests/test_introspect.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def test_table_repr(fresh_db):
 
 
 def test_indexes(fresh_db):
-    fresh_db.conn.executescript(
+    fresh_db.executescript(
         """
         create table Gosh (c1 text, c2 text, c3 text);
         create index Gosh_c1 on Gosh(c1);
diff --git a/tests/test_tracer.py b/tests/test_tracer.py
index de3743a..e23ae86 100644
--- a/tests/test_tracer.py
+++ b/tests/test_tracer.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ def test_tracer():
     db["dogs"].enable_fts(["name"])
     db["dogs"].search("Cleopaws")
     assert collected == [
+        ("PRAGMA recursive_triggers=on;", None),
         ("select name from sqlite_master where type = 'view'", None),
         ("select name from sqlite_master where type = 'table'", None),
         ("CREATE TABLE [dogs] (\n   [name] TEXT\n);\n        ", None),