A Beginner's Guide to phpMyAdmin

What is phpMyAdmin?

A database is a store where your website keeps its information. A blog keeps posts and comments there. A shop keeps products and orders.

phpMyAdmin is a free web tool for looking inside that store. You click buttons instead of typing hard commands. It is like a file cabinet with labels and drawers.

Words you will see

• Database: the whole cabinet.
• Table: one drawer. A blog may have a table for posts and one for users.
• Row: one card in a drawer, such as one post.
• Column: one kind of detail on every card, such as the title.

Open phpMyAdmin

1. Log in to your hosting control panel. Your welcome email has the details.
2. Find the Databases section.
3. Click phpMyAdmin.
4. In the left panel, click the name of your database to open it.

Look at your data

1. Click a table name in the left panel.
2. Click the Browse tab. You will see the rows.

Edit a row

1. Open the table and click Browse.
2. Click Edit next to the row.
3. Change the value you need.
4. Click Go at the bottom to save.

Search for something

1. Click the database name.
2. Click the Search tab.
3. Type the word you want to find.
4. Click Go.

Back up (export) your database

1. Click the database name.
2. Click the Export tab.
3. Leave Quick and format SQL selected.
4. Click Export. A file saves to your computer.

Restore (import) a backup

Warning: importing can replace your current data. Take a fresh export first.

1. Click the database name.
2. Click the Import tab.
3. Click Choose File and pick your SQL file.
4. Click Go.

Take care

The buttons Drop, Empty and Delete remove data for good. Always export a backup before you use them.

Quick recap

• phpMyAdmin lets you see and change a database with clicks.
• Open it from the Databases section of your control panel.
• Use Browse, Search, Export and Import for daily jobs.
• Back up before you delete or drop anything.