---
title: "Using MySQLi to INSERT Data into a Database"
description: "Since newer versions of PHP no longer support the ability to insert data into a database using PHP extensions, users will need to make use of an extension such as MySQLi to insert data into their..."
url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/server/databases/using-mysqli-to-insert/
date: 2012-01-27
modified: 2024-07-23
author: "InMotion Hosting Contributor"
categories: ["Website", "Working with Databases"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Using MySQLi to INSERT Data into a Database

![using mysqli to insert data hero image](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/using-mysqli-to-insert-data-hero-image-1024x538.png)

Since newer versions of PHP no longer support the ability to insert data into a database using PHP extensions, users will need to make use of an extension such as MySQLi to insert data into their databases. Using MySQLi to insert data can be done directly in the command line or via PHP script. In this article we will discuss using MySQLi to insert data into MySQL databases.

## Using MySQLi to INSERT Data

1. First, ensure that your [database has been created](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/server/databases/create-a-mysql-database/) and can be accessed.
2. Next, [connect to your database server via SSH](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/server/databases/). Please note that this will require the use of command-line operations. It is only recommended to perform these steps if you are comfortable using command-line interfaces.
3. Once you’ve connected to your database server you will want to [log into MySQL](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/server/databases/mysql-command-line/).
4. Once logged in, you can use the mysql prompt to execute the following query and insert data into your database. $sql = "INSERT INTO data_product1 (size, color, price) VALUES ('M', 'Blue', '39.99')";
5. In our example, data_product represents the database table being modified. The size, color, and price all represent separate columns in the database structure. The values represent the data being stored, in this case the size, color, and price of the product in question. For a typical eCommerce website, a database will contain thousands of tables storing a variety of data ranging from contact information to product descriptions and specifications.

### Creating a PHP script to INSERT Data using MySQLi

While it is not possible to use PHP extensions to insert data, you can still write a PHP script that uses the MySQLi extension to insert the data.

The first portion of the script will involve connecting to the database. The **dbhost** is the hostname of the database server, usually localhost. The **dbuser** is the database username, **dbpass** is the password for the database user, and the **dbname** is the name of the database itself:

```

   
      Adding Product Data