How to use phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is a browser-based tool for working directly with a MySQL or MariaDB database — the kind of database that sits behind WordPress and most other content management systems. Rather than writing SQL commands from scratch every time, it gives you a visual way to browse tables, edit individual rows, run queries when you need to, and move data in and out with import and export.

Opening it

phpMyAdmin is usually reached from the database section of your control panel, alongside the tools for creating databases and database users. Opening it from there connects you automatically using your hosting account's own database access — you should not need to enter separate login details, since the panel has already authenticated you.

Finding your way around

The database list sits down the left-hand side. Selecting one shows the tables inside it, and selecting a table shows its structure and its data. For a typical WordPress site, for example, you would find tables such as one for posts, one for options, and one for users, each holding a different slice of the site's content and configuration.

Browsing and editing data

Clicking into a table shows its rows in a grid. From there you can:

• Browse — view the actual data, page by page if the table is large.
• Edit a row — change individual field values directly, useful for a quick fix such as correcting a setting stored in the database without going through the application's own interface.
• Delete a row — permanently, with no undo. Be certain before confirming.
• Insert a new row — occasionally useful, though most application data is normally created through the application itself rather than by hand.

Running a query

The SQL tab lets you run a query directly against the selected database — useful for something more specific than the browse-and-edit interface easily supports, such as finding all rows matching a particular condition. A basic example, finding a user by their email address in a typical WordPress users table:

SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE user_email = 'name@example.com';

If you are not confident writing SQL, stick to the browse and edit screens for routine changes — they cover the great majority of what most site owners ever need to do, without the risk of a mistyped query affecting more rows than intended.

Exporting a database

Select the database, open the export tab, and choose a format — SQL is the standard choice, producing a single file containing every table's structure and data. This is the file you would keep as a backup, move to another host, or hand to a developer who needs a copy of your data to work with locally. See how to export a database for the detail on export options.

Importing a database

To bring data into a database — restoring a backup, or moving a site's content from elsewhere — select the target database first (create an empty one if you do not already have one, see creating a database), open the import tab, and upload the SQL file. Importing into a database that already has data in it can conflict with what is already there, so import into an empty database unless you specifically intend to add to existing content.

Common mistakes

• Editing the live database with no backup taken first. The single most avoidable cause of "I broke my database" — export first, then make the change.
• Importing into the wrong database. Double-check which database is selected before importing, especially on an account with more than one.
• Running a query that affects far more rows than intended. A query without a specific enough condition can update or delete far more than expected — review a query carefully, and where possible run a SELECT first to see exactly which rows it would affect before running the equivalent UPDATE or DELETE.