SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement

With SQL, you can copy information from one table into another.

The INSERT INTO SELECT statement copies data from one table and inserts it into an existing table.

The SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement

The INSERT INTO SELECT statement selects data from one table and inserts it into an existing table. Any existing rows in the target table are unaffected.

SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Syntax

We can copy all columns from one table to another, existing table:

INSERT INTO table2
SELECT * FROM table1;

Or we can copy only the columns we want to into another, existing table:

INSERT INTO table2
(column_name(s))
SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table1;

Demo Database

In this tutorial we will use the well-known Northwind sample database.

Below is a selection from the "Customers" table:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitucion 2222	Mexico D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taqueria	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	Mexico D.F.	05023	Mexico

And a selection from the "Suppliers" table:

SupplierID	SupplierName	ContactName	Address	City	Postal Code	Country	Phone
1	Exotic Liquid	Charlotte Cooper	49 Gilbert St.	Londona	EC1 4SD	UK	(171) 555-2222
2	New Orleans Cajun Delights	Shelley Burke	P.O. Box 78934	New Orleans	70117	USA	(100) 555-4822
3	Grandma Kelly's Homestead	Regina Murphy	707 Oxford Rd.	Ann Arbor	48104	USA	(313) 555-5735