How to Create a Database in MySQL (with Examples)

Everything in MySQL starts with a database — the container that holds your tables, views, and procedures. Creating one takes a single command, but a few best practices will save you headaches later.

Key Points

• Basic syntax: CREATE DATABASE sales_db;
• Avoid errors on re-runs: CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS sales_db;
• Set encoding: CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci for full Unicode support
• Switch to it with USE sales_db; before creating tables
• List all databases with SHOW DATABASES;
• Use lowercase names with underscores (sales_db, not SalesDB) for portability