How to Read Rows from a MySQL Table with SELECT

SELECT is how you read from MySQL. You name the columns and the table, then narrow it down with WHERE, sort it with ORDER BY, and cut it short with LIMIT. This guide runs each of those on a real table in MySQL 9.7, and shows what comes back.

Prerequisites

• MySQL, and a way to run SQL. The examples use MySQL 9.7.4 in Docker, and the mysql client from How to Connect to MySQL in a Docker Container.
• A table with rows. The examples read categories and products, from an inventory database. Use your own table names.

Step 1: Read Every Row and Column

* means every column:

mysql

SELECT * FROM categories;

Output

+----+---------------+----------------------------+
| Id | Name          | CreatedAtUtc               |
+----+---------------+----------------------------+
|  1 | Cables        | 2026-11-04 10:48:37.000261 |
|  2 | Wall chargers | 2026-11-04 10:48:38.457419 |
|  5 | Adapters      | 2026-11-04 10:48:45.591706 |
+----+---------------+----------------------------+
3 rows in set (0.000 sec)

It's handy when you're exploring. In code, name the columns instead, so you read only what you use and a new column can't change your results.

Step 2: Choose Columns and Rows

List the columns, and add WHERE to choose the rows:

mysql

SELECT Id, Name FROM categories WHERE Id = 1;

Output

+----+--------+
| Id | Name   |
+----+--------+
|  1 | Cables |
+----+--------+
1 row in set (0.000 sec)

MySQL's SELECT page says the WHERE clause "indicates the condition or conditions that rows must satisfy to be selected."

Step 3: Sort the Results

ORDER BY sorts, and DESC means largest first. This combines a condition and a sort:

mysql

SELECT Sku, Name, UnitPrice FROM products WHERE UnitPrice < 10 ORDER BY UnitPrice DESC;

Output

+---------------+------------------------+-----------+
| Sku           | Name                   | UnitPrice |
+---------------+------------------------+-----------+
| CBL-USBC-1M   | USB-C cable, 1 m       |      7.50 |
| ADP-USBC-USBA | USB-C to USB-A adapter |      5.25 |
+---------------+------------------------+-----------+
2 rows in set (0.000 sec)

Without ORDER BY, MySQL doesn't promise any order. If order matters, ask for it.

Step 4: Take Only the First Few

LIMIT stops after that many rows. With a sort, this gives you the three most expensive products:

mysql

SELECT Sku, UnitPrice FROM products ORDER BY UnitPrice DESC LIMIT 3;

Output

+--------------+-----------+
| Sku          | UnitPrice |
+--------------+-----------+
| CHG-USBC-65W |     39.50 |
| CHG-USBC-20W |     19.99 |
| CBL-LTNG-1M  |     14.00 |
+--------------+-----------+
3 rows in set (0.000 sec)

How to Page Results in MySQL takes this further.

When Nothing Matches

It isn't an error. MySQL says so, and returns no rows:

mysql

SELECT Sku FROM products WHERE Sku = 'NOPE';

Output

Empty set (0.000 sec)

Common Mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Do this instead
SELECT * in application code	You read columns you don't use, and results change when a column is added	Name the columns
LIMIT with no ORDER BY	Which rows you get isn't defined	Sort first
Double quotes around text in some SQL modes	They can mean a column name	Use single quotes for text
A table name in the wrong case on Linux	Table doesn't exist	Match its case

FAQ

Is SQL case-sensitive?

Keywords aren't: select works too. Table names can be, depending on the operating system. Comparing text depends on the column's collation, as in How to Make a MySQL Text Comparison Case-Sensitive.

How do I show wide rows so they're readable?

End the statement with \G, as in How to Show MySQL Query Results Vertically.

Conclusion

SELECT columns FROM a table, with WHERE to choose rows, ORDER BY to sort them and LIMIT to cut them short. Name your columns in code, and sort whenever the order matters.

Additional Resources

• SELECT Statement — the full syntax.

Related

• How to Join Two Tables in MySQL
• How to Count Rows in a MySQL Table
• How to Read Rows from MySQL with EF Core and LINQ