Last updated: August 26, 2026.
The SQL LIKE condition matches text using wildcard patterns. A percent sign matches zero or more characters; an underscore matches exactly one character.
SELECT customer_id, company_name
FROM customers
WHERE company_name LIKE 'A%';Common patterns
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
'A%' | Starts with A |
'%son' | Ends with son |
'%market%' | Contains market |
'A_3' | A, one character, then 3 |
SELECT product_id, product_name
FROM products
WHERE product_name NOT LIKE '%sample%';Case sensitivity depends on the database and collation. Bind a parameter instead of concatenating user input, and escape wildcard characters when the search term should be treated literally.
