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SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement


With SQL, you can copy information from one table into another.

The INSERT INTO SELECT statement copies data from one table and inserts it into an existing table.


The SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement

The INSERT INTO SELECT statement selects data from one table and inserts it into an existing table. Any existing rows in the target table are unaffected.

SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Syntax

We can copy all columns from one table to another, existing table:

INSERT INTO table2
SELECT * FROM table1;

Or we can copy only the columns we want to into another, existing table:

INSERT INTO table2
(column_name(s))
SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table1;

Demo Database

In this tutorial we will use the well-known Northwind sample database.

Below is a selection from the "Customers" table:

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

And a selection from the "Suppliers" table:

SupplierID SupplierName ContactName Address City Postal Code Country Phone
1 Exotic Liquid Charlotte Cooper 49 Gilbert St. Londona EC1 4SD UK (171) 555-2222
2 New Orleans Cajun Delights Shelley Burke P.O. Box 78934 New Orleans 70117 USA (100) 555-4822
3 Grandma Kelly's Homestead Regina Murphy 707 Oxford Rd. Ann Arbor 48104 USA (313) 555-5735

SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Examples

Copy only a few columns from "Suppliers" into "Customers":

Example

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, Country)
SELECT SupplierName, Country FROM Suppliers;
Try it Yourself »

Copy only the German suppliers into "Customers":

Example

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, Country)
SELECT SupplierName, Country FROM Suppliers
WHERE Country='Germany';
Try it Yourself »