MySQL LIKE Operator (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 25 Mar, 2026

The LIKE operator in MySQL is used to search for a specified pattern in a column. It is commonly used with the WHERE clause in SELECT statements to filter rows based on partial matches.

• Uses wildcard character '%' to match any number of characters to define search patterns.
• Uses '_' to match exactly one character to define search patterns.
• Helps in flexible searching, such as finding names starting with a letter, ending with a word, or containing specific text.

Syntax:

SELECT column1, column2, ... FROM table_name WHERE columnN LIKE pattern;

• **column1, column2, ...: The columns you want to retrieve.
• **table_name: The table from which you are getting data.
• **columnN: The column to search.
• **pattern: The pattern you're looking for.

Working with the LIKE Operator

To understand the MySQL LIKE operator, we will first create a sample table and then run some queries to see how it works:

employees Table

Example 1: Search for Names Starting with 'J'

This example retrieves all employees whose names begin with the letter 'J' using the % wildcard.

**Query:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE 'J%';

**Output:

• This query filters all employees whose names start with 'J'.
• The % wildcard matches any number of characters after 'J'.

Example 2: Search for Names Ending with 'a'

This example finds employees whose names end with the letter 'a' using a wildcard at the beginning.

**Query:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE '%a';

**Output:

• This query retrieves employees whose names end with 'a'.
• The % wildcard matches any characters before 'a'.

Example 3: Search for Names Containing 'ia'

This example filters employees whose names contain the substring 'ia' anywhere in the text.

**Query:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE '%ia%';

**Output:

• This query finds employees whose names contain 'ia' anywhere in the string.
• The % wildcard matches any characters before and after 'ia'.

Example 4: Search for Names with 'i' as the Second Character

This example selects employees whose names have 'i' as the second character using _ wildcard.

**Query:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE '_i%';

**Output:

• This query selects employees whose names have 'i' as the second character.
• The _ wildcard matches exactly one character before 'i'.