INSERT - Adding Data

The INSERT statement adds new rows to a table.

Basic Syntax

INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, ...)
VALUES (value1, value2, ...);

Inserting a Single Row

Your sandbox has a products table. Let's add a new product:

INSERT INTO products (name, category, price, in_stock)
VALUES ('Keyboard', 'Electronics', 79.99, true);

After inserting, verify with:

SELECT * FROM products;

Inserting Multiple Rows

Add several rows at once by separating value sets with commas:

INSERT INTO products (name, category, price, in_stock, quantity)
VALUES
  ('Webcam', 'Electronics', 59.99, true, 30),
  ('Notebook', 'Stationery', 4.99, true, 200),
  ('Pen Set', 'Stationery', 12.99, true, 150);

RETURNING - Get Back Inserted Data

PostgreSQL can return the inserted data (including auto-generated values):

INSERT INTO products (name, category, price)
VALUES ('USB Cable', 'Electronics', 9.99)
RETURNING id, name, created_at;

This is very useful for getting the auto-generated id of a new row.

Default Values

Columns with default values can be omitted:

-- in_stock defaults to true, quantity defaults to 0
INSERT INTO products (name, category, price)
VALUES ('Headphones', 'Electronics', 149.99);

Or explicitly use DEFAULT:

INSERT INTO products (name, category, price, quantity)
VALUES ('Tablet', 'Electronics', 399.99, DEFAULT);

Try It Yourself

1. Insert a new product: "Standing Desk", category "Furniture", price 599.99
2. Insert 3 products at once in a single statement
3. Insert a product and use RETURNING to see its generated id
4. Check your products table to see everything you've added!