--- slug: /en/sql-reference/statements/insert-into sidebar_position: 33 sidebar_label: INSERT INTO --- # INSERT INTO Statement Inserts data into a table. **Syntax** ``` sql INSERT INTO [db.]table [(c1, c2, c3)] VALUES (v11, v12, v13), (v21, v22, v23), ... ``` You can specify a list of columns to insert using the `(c1, c2, c3)`. You can also use an expression with column [matcher](../../sql-reference/statements/select/index.md#asterisk) such as `*` and/or [modifiers](../../sql-reference/statements/select/index.md#select-modifiers) such as [APPLY](../../sql-reference/statements/select/index.md#apply-modifier), [EXCEPT](../../sql-reference/statements/select/index.md#except-modifier), [REPLACE](../../sql-reference/statements/select/index.md#replace-modifier). For example, consider the table: ``` sql SHOW CREATE insert_select_testtable; ``` ```text CREATE TABLE insert_select_testtable ( `a` Int8, `b` String, `c` Int8 ) ENGINE = MergeTree() ORDER BY a ``` ``` sql INSERT INTO insert_select_testtable (*) VALUES (1, 'a', 1) ; ``` If you want to insert data in all the columns, except 'b', you need to pass so many values how many columns you chose in parenthesis then: ``` sql INSERT INTO insert_select_testtable (* EXCEPT(b)) Values (2, 2); ``` ``` sql SELECT * FROM insert_select_testtable; ``` ``` ┌─a─┬─b─┬─c─┐ │ 2 │ │ 2 │ └───┴───┴───┘ ┌─a─┬─b─┬─c─┐ │ 1 │ a │ 1 │ └───┴───┴───┘ ``` In this example, we see that the second inserted row has `a` and `c` columns filled by the passed values, and `b` filled with value by default. It is also possible to use `DEFAULT` keyword to insert default values: ``` sql INSERT INTO insert_select_testtable VALUES (1, DEFAULT, 1) ; ``` If a list of columns does not include all existing columns, the rest of the columns are filled with: - The values calculated from the `DEFAULT` expressions specified in the table definition. - Zeros and empty strings, if `DEFAULT` expressions are not defined. Data can be passed to the INSERT in any [format](../../interfaces/formats.md#formats) supported by ClickHouse. The format must be specified explicitly in the query: ``` sql INSERT INTO [db.]table [(c1, c2, c3)] FORMAT format_name data_set ``` For example, the following query format is identical to the basic version of INSERT … VALUES: ``` sql INSERT INTO [db.]table [(c1, c2, c3)] FORMAT Values (v11, v12, v13), (v21, v22, v23), ... ``` ClickHouse removes all spaces and one line feed (if there is one) before the data. When forming a query, we recommend putting the data on a new line after the query operators (this is important if the data begins with spaces). Example: ``` sql INSERT INTO t FORMAT TabSeparated 11 Hello, world! 22 Qwerty ``` You can insert data separately from the query by using the command-line client or the HTTP interface. For more information, see the section “[Interfaces](../../interfaces)”. ## Constraints If table has [constraints](../../sql-reference/statements/create/table.md#constraints), their expressions will be checked for each row of inserted data. If any of those constraints is not satisfied — server will raise an exception containing constraint name and expression, the query will be stopped. ## Inserting the Results of `SELECT` **Syntax** ``` sql INSERT INTO [db.]table [(c1, c2, c3)] SELECT ... ``` Columns are mapped according to their position in the SELECT clause. However, their names in the SELECT expression and the table for INSERT may differ. If necessary, type casting is performed. None of the data formats except Values allow setting values to expressions such as `now()`, `1 + 2`, and so on. The Values format allows limited use of expressions, but this is not recommended, because in this case inefficient code is used for their execution. Other queries for modifying data parts are not supported: `UPDATE`, `DELETE`, `REPLACE`, `MERGE`, `UPSERT`, `INSERT UPDATE`. However, you can delete old data using `ALTER TABLE ... DROP PARTITION`. `FORMAT` clause must be specified in the end of query if `SELECT` clause contains table function [input()](../../sql-reference/table-functions/input.md). To insert a default value instead of `NULL` into a column with not nullable data type, enable [insert_null_as_default](../../operations/settings/settings.md#insert_null_as_default) setting. ## Inserting Data from a File **Syntax** ``` sql INSERT INTO [db.]table [(c1, c2, c3)] FROM INFILE file_name [COMPRESSION type] FORMAT format_name ``` Use the syntax above to insert data from a file, or files, stored on the **client** side. `file_name` and `type` are string literals. Input file [format](../../interfaces/formats.md) must be set in the `FORMAT` clause. Compressed files are supported. The compression type is detected by the extension of the file name. Or it can be explicitly specified in a `COMPRESSION` clause. Supported types are: `'none'`, `'gzip'`, `'deflate'`, `'br'`, `'xz'`, `'zstd'`, `'lz4'`, `'bz2'`. This functionality is available in the [command-line client](../../interfaces/cli.md) and [clickhouse-local](../../operations/utilities/clickhouse-local.md). **Examples** ### Single file with FROM INFILE Execute the following queries using [command-line client](../../interfaces/cli.md): ```bash echo 1,A > input.csv ; echo 2,B >> input.csv clickhouse-client --query="CREATE TABLE table_from_file (id UInt32, text String) ENGINE=MergeTree() ORDER BY id;" clickhouse-client --query="INSERT INTO table_from_file FROM INFILE 'input.csv' FORMAT CSV;" clickhouse-client --query="SELECT * FROM table_from_file FORMAT PrettyCompact;" ``` Result: ```text ┌─id─┬─text─┐ │ 1 │ A │ │ 2 │ B │ └────┴──────┘ ``` ### Multiple files with FROM INFILE using globs This example is very similar to the previous one but inserts from multiple files using `FROM INFILE 'input_*.csv`. ```bash echo 1,A > input_1.csv ; echo 2,B > input_2.csv clickhouse-client --query="CREATE TABLE infile_globs (id UInt32, text String) ENGINE=MergeTree() ORDER BY id;" clickhouse-client --query="INSERT INTO infile_globs FROM INFILE 'input_*.csv' FORMAT CSV;" clickhouse-client --query="SELECT * FROM infile_globs FORMAT PrettyCompact;" ``` :::tip In addition to selecting multiple files with `*`, you can use ranges (`{1,2}` or `{1..9}`) and other [glob substitutions](/docs/en/sql-reference/table-functions/file.md/#globs-in-path). These three all would work with the above example: ```sql INSERT INTO infile_globs FROM INFILE 'input_*.csv' FORMAT CSV; INSERT INTO infile_globs FROM INFILE 'input_{1,2}.csv' FORMAT CSV; INSERT INTO infile_globs FROM INFILE 'input_?.csv' FORMAT CSV; ``` ::: ## Inserting into Table Function Data can be inserted into tables referenced by [table functions](../../sql-reference/table-functions/index.md). **Syntax** ``` sql INSERT INTO [TABLE] FUNCTION table_func ... ``` **Example** [remote](../../sql-reference/table-functions/index.md#remote) table function is used in the following queries: ``` sql CREATE TABLE simple_table (id UInt32, text String) ENGINE=MergeTree() ORDER BY id; INSERT INTO TABLE FUNCTION remote('localhost', default.simple_table) VALUES (100, 'inserted via remote()'); SELECT * FROM simple_table; ``` Result: ``` text ┌──id─┬─text──────────────────┐ │ 100 │ inserted via remote() │ └─────┴───────────────────────┘ ``` ## Performance Considerations `INSERT` sorts the input data by primary key and splits them into partitions by a partition key. If you insert data into several partitions at once, it can significantly reduce the performance of the `INSERT` query. To avoid this: - Add data in fairly large batches, such as 100,000 rows at a time. - Group data by a partition key before uploading it to ClickHouse. Performance will not decrease if: - Data is added in real time. - You upload data that is usually sorted by time. It's also possible to asynchronously insert data in small but frequent inserts. The data from such insertions is combined into batches and then safely inserted into a table. To enable the asynchronous mode, switch on the [async_insert](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert) setting. Note that asynchronous insertions are supported only over HTTP protocol, and deduplication is not supported for them. **See Also** - [async_insert](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert) - [async_insert_threads](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert-threads) - [wait_for_async_insert](../../operations/settings/settings.md#wait-for-async-insert) - [wait_for_async_insert_timeout](../../operations/settings/settings.md#wait-for-async-insert-timeout) - [async_insert_max_data_size](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert-max-data-size) - [async_insert_busy_timeout_ms](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert-busy-timeout-ms) - [async_insert_stale_timeout_ms](../../operations/settings/settings.md#async-insert-stale-timeout-ms)