Managing Databases with phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is a web-based tool for managing MySQL databases. It provides a graphical interface for browsing tables, running SQL queries, importing and exporting data, and performing maintenance tasks.

Please note: Screens and options may vary slightly depending on your cPanel version and hosting plan.

Accessing phpMyAdmin

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. In the Databases section, click phpMyAdmin.
3. phpMyAdmin opens in a new tab, showing your databases in the left sidebar.

Common Tasks

Browsing Data

1. Click a database name in the left sidebar.
2. Click a table name to view its structure.
3. Click the Browse tab to see the data in the table.

Running SQL Queries

1. Select the database.
2. Click the SQL tab.
3. Enter your query and click Go.

Example — find all users in a WordPress database:

SELECT * FROM wp_users;

Searching Data

1. Select a table.
2. Click the Search tab.
3. Enter search criteria for specific columns.
4. Click Go.

Exporting a Database

1. Select the database.
2. Click the Export tab.
3. Choose Quick for a standard SQL dump, or Custom for more options.
4. Click Go to download the file.

Importing Data

1. Select the database.
2. Click the Import tab.
3. Click Choose File and select your .sql or .sql.gz file.
4. Click Go.

Note: There is typically a file size limit for imports through phpMyAdmin (often 50MB–512MB depending on server configuration). For larger files, use the command line or the cPanel Backup tool.

Editing Data

1. Browse a table.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon) next to the row you want to modify.
3. Make changes and click Go.

Tips

• Always back up your database before making changes in phpMyAdmin. Accidental deletions or incorrect queries cannot be undone.
• Use the Operations tab to rename tables, change the storage engine, or copy a table.
• If phpMyAdmin times out during a large import, use SSH and the mysql command-line tool instead.
• The Designer feature (available under the database view) shows visual relationships between tables.

What Next?

• Backing Up and Restoring a Database — Export and import database backups.
• Optimising and Repairing MySQL Databases — Improve database performance.

Related Articles

• Backing Up and Restoring a Database
• Optimising and Repairing MySQL Databases
• Creating a MySQL Database and User