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Description

This error signifies that MySQL cannot find or access the database name specified in your connection attempt or SQL query. It commonly occurs when the database name is misspelled, the database has not yet been created, or it has been deleted from the server.

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Error Message

Unknown database '%s'

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Known Causes

3 known causes

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Typo in Database Name

The database name provided in your connection string or SQL statement does not exactly match an existing database on the server.

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Database Does Not Exist

The specified database has not been created on the MySQL server or was previously deleted.

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Connected to Wrong Server

Your application or client might be connecting to a different MySQL server instance where the intended database does not reside.

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Solutions

5 solutions available

1. Verify Database Name easy

Check the database name is spelled correctly

1

List all databases

SHOW DATABASES;

2

Search for similar database names

SHOW DATABASES LIKE '%mydb%';

2. Create the Database easy

Create database if it doesn't exist

1

Create database

CREATE DATABASE mydb;

2

Create only if not exists

CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS mydb;

3

Create with specific charset

CREATE DATABASE mydb
CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

3. Fix Connection String easy

Update database name in application config

1

Check and fix connection string format

# Standard MySQL connection string:
mysql://username:password@hostname:3306/database_name

# PHP PDO:
$dsn = 'mysql:host=localhost;dbname=correct_database';

# Node.js:
const connection = mysql.createConnection({
  host: 'localhost',
  user: 'user',
  database: 'correct_database'  // Check this!
});

4. Restore from Backup medium

Restore database if accidentally dropped

1

Create empty database first

CREATE DATABASE mydb;

2

Restore from SQL dump

mysql -u username -p mydb < backup.sql

3

Or restore specific tables

mysql -u username -p mydb < tables_backup.sql

5. Check User Privileges medium

User may not have access to see the database

1

Check user grants

SHOW GRANTS FOR 'username'@'localhost';

2

Grant access to database

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mydb.* TO 'username'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

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Related Errors

5 related errors

MySQL Error 1049: Unknown Database Name