Manage your databases with phpMyAdmin

Definitions

phpMyAdmin is a tool that lets you manage and edit your website or app databases through a user-friendly panel. A database stores the data needed for your site or app to work and deliver content online.

Before you start

✅ phpMyAdmin is often used to review database tables, run SQL queries, or perform database searches.

⚠️ You can import existing databases into phpMyAdmin, but you can’t create new ones in it. To create a new database manually, go to this guide instead: Create a new database

ℹ️ When you install WordPress or any modern app, a database is automatically generated for you and stored within phpMyAdmin.

🚨 Exercise caution when managing or editing databases to avoid problems and errors. Only advanced users or professional web developers should perform database tasks within phpMyAdmin.

Step by step

1. Log in to your hosting control panel

2. Click on the phpMyAdmin button

3. When phpMyAdmin opens, your databases will be displayed on the left-hand panel. In our example, we have only one database, called cloudhelpcenter_80. If you have multiple databases, they will be listed one after another on this panel.

4. You can click direct on your database to expand its tables to review, apply edits, or perform tasks

5. From this point forward, there is a wide range of tasks you can perform within phpMyAdmin, here is a general overview of typical ones, why they’re helpful, along with scenarios they may be used.

Managing and editing database tables and records

• Scenario: You need to update user information in a database.
• Why it’s helpful: Easily view and modify records directly, for data accuracy without needing complex SQL commands.
• Button/Area: Navigate to a table and click on ‘Browse’.
  

Running SQL queries

• Scenario: You need to retrieve a specific set of data or perform a batch update.
• Why it’s helpful: Execute custom SQL commands to quickly perform tasks that would be otherwise manual and time-consuming.
• Button/Area: Go to the ‘SQL’ tab in the top menu.
  

Searching within a database

• Scenario: You need to find specific records that match certain criteria, such as all users with a particular email domain.
• Why it’s helpful: Quickly locate specific data within large tables, saving time and improving efficiency.
• Button/Area: Navigate to the database table and click on the ‘Search’ tab in the top menu.