MySQL Wildcards

MySQL Wildcard Characters

Wildcard characters substitute one or more characters within a string and are employed with the LIKE operator.

The LIKE operator, used in a WHERE clause, searches for a specified pattern in a column.

Wildcard Characters in MySQL

Symbol	Description	Example
%	Represents any sequence of characters	The pattern “bl%” matches “bl”, “black”, “blue”, and “blob”.
_	Represents any single character	The pattern “h_t” matches “hot”, “hat”, and “hit”.

Wildcards can also be used in combinations!

Here are examples demonstrating various LIKE operators with ‘%’ and ‘_’ wildcards:

LIKE Operator	Description
WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘a%’	Retrieve values that start with the letter “a”.
WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘%a’	Retrieve values that end with the letter “a”.
WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘%or%‘	Retrieve values that have “or” in any position.
WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘_r%’	Retrieve values that have “r” in second position.
WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘a_%_%’	Please locate values beginning with “a” that are at least three characters long.
WHERE ContactName LIKE ‘a%o’	Please find values that start with “a” and end with “o”.

Demo Database

Here is the complete “Customers” table from the Northwind sample database:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden
6	Blauer See Delikatessen	Hanna Moos	Forsterstr. 57	Mannheim	68306	Germany
7	Blondel père et fils	Frédérique Citeaux	24, place Kléber	Strasbourg	67000	France
8	Bólido Comidas preparadas	Martín Sommer	C/ Araquil, 67	Madrid	28023	Spain
9	Bon app’	Laurence Lebihans	12, rue des Bouchers	Marseille	13008	France
10	Bottom-Dollar Marketse	Elizabeth Lincoln	23 Tsawassen Blvd.	Tsawassen	T2F 8M4	Canada
11	B’s Beverages	Victoria Ashworth	Fauntleroy Circus	London	EC2 5NT	UK
12	Cactus Comidas para llevar	Patricio Simpson	Cerrito 333	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
13	Centro comercial Moctezuma	Francisco Chang	Sierras de Granada 9993	México D.F.	05022	Mexico
14	Chop-suey Chinese	Yang Wang	Hauptstr. 29	Bern	3012	Switzerland
15	Comércio Mineiro	Pedro Afonso	Av. dos Lusíadas, 23	São Paulo	05432-043	Brazil
16	Consolidated Holdings	Elizabeth Brown	Berkeley Gardens 12 Brewery	London	WX1 6LT	UK
17	Drachenblut Delikatessend	Sven Ottlieb	Walserweg 21	Aachen	52066	Germany
18	Du monde entier	Janine Labrune	67, rue des Cinquante Otages	Nantes	44000	France
19	Eastern Connection	Ann Devon	35 King George	London	WX3 6FW	UK
20	Ernst Handel	Roland Mendel	Kirchgasse 6	Graz	8010	Austria
21	Familia Arquibaldo	Aria Cruz	Rua Orós, 92	São Paulo	05442-030	Brazil
22	FISSA Fabrica Inter. Salchichas S.A.	Diego Roel	C/ Moralzarzal, 86	Madrid	28034	Spain
23	Folies gourmandes	Martine Rancé	184, chaussée de Tournai	Lille	59000	France
24	Folk och fä HB	Maria Larsson	Åkergatan 24	Bräcke	S-844 67	Sweden
25	Frankenversand	Peter Franken	Berliner Platz 43	München	80805	Germany
26	France restauration	Carine Schmitt	54, rue Royale	Nantes	44000	France
27	Franchi S.p.A.	Paolo Accorti	Via Monte Bianco 34	Torino	10100	Italy
28	Furia Bacalhau e Frutos do Mar	Lino Rodriguez	Jardim das rosas n. 32	Lisboa	1675	Portugal
29	Galería del gastrónomo	Eduardo Saavedra	Rambla de Cataluña, 23	Barcelona	08022	Spain
30	Godos Cocina Típica	José Pedro Freyre	C/ Romero, 33	Sevilla	41101	Spain
31	Gourmet Lanchonetes	André Fonseca	Av. Brasil, 442	Campinas	04876-786	Brazil
32	Great Lakes Food Market	Howard Snyder	2732 Baker Blvd.	Eugene	97403	USA
33	GROSELLA-Restaurante	Manuel Pereira	5ª Ave. Los Palos Grandes	Caracas	1081	Venezuela
34	Hanari Carnes	Mario Pontes	Rua do Paço, 67	Rio de Janeiro	05454-876	Brazil
35	HILARIÓN-Abastos	Carlos Hernández	Carrera 22 con Ave. Carlos Soublette #8-35	San Cristóbal	5022	Venezuela
36	Hungry Coyote Import Store	Yoshi Latimer	City Center Plaza 516 Main St.	Elgin	97827	USA
37	Hungry Owl All-Night Grocers	Patricia McKenna	8 Johnstown Road	Cork		Ireland
38	Island Trading	Helen Bennett	Garden House Crowther Way	Cowes	PO31 7PJ	UK
39	Königlich Essen	Philip Cramer	Maubelstr. 90	Brandenburg	14776	Germany
40	La corne d’abondance	Daniel Tonini	67, avenue de l’Europe	Versailles	78000	France
41	La maison d’Asie	Annette Roulet	1 rue Alsace-Lorraine	Toulouse	31000	France
42	Laughing Bacchus Wine Cellars	Yoshi Tannamuri	1900 Oak St.	Vancouver	V3F 2K1	Canada
43	Lazy K Kountry Store	John Steel	12 Orchestra Terrace	Walla Walla	99362	USA
44	Lehmanns Marktstand	Renate Messner	Magazinweg 7	Frankfurt a.M.	60528	Germany
45	Let’s Stop N Shop	Jaime Yorres	87 Polk St. Suite 5	San Francisco	94117	USA
46	LILA-Supermercado	Carlos González	Carrera 52 con Ave. Bolívar #65-98 Llano Largo	Barquisimeto	3508	Venezuela
47	LINO-Delicateses	Felipe Izquierdo	Ave. 5 de Mayo Porlamar	I. de Margarita	4980	Venezuela
48	Lonesome Pine Restaurant	Fran Wilson	89 Chiaroscuro Rd.	Portland	97219	USA
49	Magazzini Alimentari Riuniti	Giovanni Rovelli	Via Ludovico il Moro 22	Bergamo	24100	Italy
50	Maison Dewey	Catherine Dewey	Rue Joseph-Bens 532	Bruxelles	B-1180	Belgium
51	Mère Paillarde	Jean Fresnière	43 rue St. Laurent	Montréal	H1J 1C3	Canada
52	Morgenstern Gesundkost	Alexander Feuer	Heerstr. 22	Leipzig	04179	Germany
53	North/South	Simon Crowther	South House 300 Queensbridge	London	SW7 1RZ	UK
54	Océano Atlántico Ltda.	Yvonne Moncada	Ing. Gustavo Moncada 8585 Piso 20-A	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
55	Old World Delicatessen	Rene Phillips	2743 Bering St.	Anchorage	99508	USA
56	Ottilies Käseladen	Henriette Pfalzheim	Mehrheimerstr. 369	Köln	50739	Germany
57	Paris spécialités	Marie Bertrand	265, boulevard Charonne	Paris	75012	France
58	Pericles Comidas clásicas	Guillermo Fernández	Calle Dr. Jorge Cash 321	México D.F.	05033	Mexico
59	Piccolo und mehr	Georg Pipps	Geislweg 14	Salzburg	5020	Austria
60	Princesa Isabel Vinhoss	Isabel de Castro	Estrada da saúde n. 58	Lisboa	1756	Portugal
61	Que Delícia	Bernardo Batista	Rua da Panificadora, 12	Rio de Janeiro	02389-673	Brazil
62	Queen Cozinha	Lúcia Carvalho	Alameda dos Canàrios, 891	São Paulo	05487-020	Brazil
63	QUICK-Stop	Horst Kloss	Taucherstraße 10	Cunewalde	01307	Germany
64	Rancho grande	Sergio Gutiérrez	Av. del Libertador 900	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
65	Rattlesnake Canyon Grocery	Paula Wilson	2817 Milton Dr.	Albuquerque	87110	USA
66	Reggiani Caseifici	Maurizio Moroni	Strada Provinciale 124	Reggio Emilia	42100	Italy
67	Ricardo Adocicados	Janete Limeira	Av. Copacabana, 267	Rio de Janeiro	02389-890	Brazil
68	Richter Supermarkt	Michael Holz	Grenzacherweg 237	Genève	1203	Switzerland
69	Romero y tomillo	Alejandra Camino	Gran Vía, 1	Madrid	28001	Spain
70	Santé Gourmet	Jonas Bergulfsen	Erling Skakkes gate 78	Stavern	4110	Norway
71	Save-a-lot Markets	Jose Pavarotti	187 Suffolk Ln.	Boise	83720	USA
72	Seven Seas Imports	Hari Kumar	90 Wadhurst Rd.	London	OX15 4NB	UK
73	Simons bistro	Jytte Petersen	Vinbæltet 34	København	1734	Denmark
74	Spécialités du monde	Dominique Perrier	25, rue Lauriston	Paris	75016	France
75	Split Rail Beer & Ale	Art Braunschweiger	P.O. Box 555	Lander	82520	USA
76	Suprêmes délices	Pascale Cartrain	Boulevard Tirou, 255	Charleroi	B-6000	Belgium
77	The Big Cheese	Liz Nixon	89 Jefferson Way Suite 2	Portland	97201	USA
78	The Cracker Box	Liu Wong	55 Grizzly Peak Rd.	Butte	59801	USA
79	Toms Spezialitäten	Karin Josephs	Luisenstr. 48	Münster	44087	Germany
80	Tortuga Restaurante	Miguel Angel Paolino	Avda. Azteca 123	México D.F.	05033	Mexico
81	Tradição Hipermercados	Anabela Domingues	Av. Inês de Castro, 414	São Paulo	05634-030	Brazil
82	Trail’s Head Gourmet Provisioners	Helvetius Nagy	722 DaVinci Blvd.	Kirkland	98034	USA
83	Vaffeljernet	Palle Ibsen	Smagsløget 45	Århus	8200	Denmark
84	Victuailles en stock	Mary Saveley	2, rue du Commerce	Lyon	69004	France
85	Vins et alcools Chevalier	Paul Henriot	59 rue de l’Abbaye	Reims	51100	France
86	Die Wandernde Kuh	Rita Müller	Adenauerallee 900	Stuttgart	70563	Germany
87	Wartian Herkku	Pirkko Koskitalo	Torikatu 38	Oulu	90110	Finland
88	Wellington Importadora	Paula Parente	Rua do Mercado, 12	Resende	08737-363	Brazil
89	White Clover Markets	Karl Jablonski	305 – 14th Ave. S. Suite 3B	Seattle	98128	USA
90	Wilman Kala	Matti Karttunen	Keskuskatu 45	Helsinki	21240	Finland
91	Wolski	Zbyszek	ul. Filtrowa 68	Walla	01-012	Poland

Using the % Wildcard

The following SQL statement selects all customers whose City starts with “ber”:

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE ‘ber%’;

The following SQL statement selects all customers whose City contains the pattern “es”:

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE ‘%es%’;

Using the _ Wildcard

The following SQL statement selects all customers whose City starts with any character, followed by “ondon”:

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE ‘_ondon’;

The following SQL statement selects all customers whose City starts with “L”, followed by any character, followed by “n”, followed by any character, and ends with “on”:

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE ‘L_n_on’;