Managing MySQL databases

Creating a database

From the Databases section, add a new database by giving it a name and choosing the engine type (MySQL/MariaDB depending on the hosting configuration). Plesk creates the empty database, ready to be filled manually or by installing an application (WordPress, for instance).

Creating a database user

A database needs at least one user to be reachable from an application. From the same section, create a user with a strong password, then associate it with the database with the necessary rights (usually all rights for a standard application use).

Accessing phpMyAdmin

A direct link to phpMyAdmin is available from each database's detail, with automatic sign-in — no need to re-enter credentials. It's the tool to use to:

• view or edit table contents directly;
• run a manual SQL query;
• export the database as a .sql file (manual backup, migration);
• import an existing .sql file into an empty database.

Importing an existing database

To migrate a site from another host, first create an empty database in Plesk, then use phpMyAdmin's import function with the .sql file exported from the old host.

Automatic database backups

Databases are included in the full backups scheduled from Plesk's Backups section (see the dedicated article) — no need to export them manually as well if automatic backups are already configured.