Using phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is the browser-based access to your MySQL databases. Run SQL queries, view tables, import/export, repairs. Plesk has auto-login — you don’t need extra credentials.

Starting phpMyAdmin

In Plesk: Databases → select database → phpMyAdmin.

Plesk logs you in automatically. You land in the DB overview.

Direct access via https://deinedomain.de:8443/phpmyadmin/ is possible, but the Plesk auto-login is usually more convenient.

phpMyAdmin UI — overview

• Left sidebar: tables of the DB
• Main area: current action
• Tabs at the top: Structure / SQL / Search / Query / Export / Import / Operations / Privileges / Routines / Events / Triggers

Clicking a table switches the right side to the table detail view.

Viewing table contents

Click a table → Browse. Rows are displayed.

Per row: Edit / Copy / Delete.

Careful: editing a production table directly is risky — make a backup first.

Running SQL queries

SQL tab at the top.

Here you can type your own SQL:

SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE user_email = 'admin@beispiel.de';

Click Go → result.

Practical SQL examples for WordPress

Reset a WordPress admin account password:

UPDATE wp_users SET user_pass = MD5('NeuesPasswort123') WHERE user_login = 'admin';

(The WordPress login works afterwards; change the password on first login.)

Search-and-replace URLs across all WordPress posts (e.g. after a domain change):

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = REPLACE(option_value, 'http://altedomain.de', 'https://neuedomain.de');
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content, 'http://altedomain.de', 'https://neuedomain.de');
UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = REPLACE(meta_value, 'http://altedomain.de', 'https://neuedomain.de');

(Careful with serialized data — better use the “Better Search Replace” plugin.)

Exporting a database

Export tab:

• Quick: complete dump as SQL
• Custom: specific tables, format, options

Recommendation for backups:

• Format: SQL
• Compression: gzip (smaller file)
• Include foreign keys + DROP TABLE

Click Go → the file downloads.

Useful for:

• Local backups
• Migration to a new host
• Cloning a site

Importing a database

Import tab:

• Pick an SQL file (.sql, .sql.gz)
• Format: SQL
• Click Go

Limits:

• upload_max_filesize depending on plan: 64 MB (Start) to 1 GB (Max)
• For larger dumps: upload to the server via FTPS, then import via CLI (we’ll help)

Repairing a table

If a table is broken (crash, disk problem):

Operations tab → Repair table → Go.

Plesk also does this automatically in the background for minor crashes. For bigger problems, open a ticket with us.

Search

Search tab at the top → pick a table → enter column filters.

Handy for quickly finding records without writing SQL.

Privileges tab

If you need DB users with restricted rights (e.g. a read-only user for a reporting tool):

Privileges tab → select / create a user → assign rights.

You can also do this from Plesk — via the DB settings.

Important security notes

Never run SQL from untrusted sources

phpMyAdmin will execute any SQL — destructive statements included (DROP DATABASE, TRUNCATE TABLE). If someone sends you “please run this SQL”: only if you’re absolutely sure what it does.

Never use your Plesk admin password in phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin uses DB user credentials, not the Plesk login. If you have your own phpMyAdmin login page (/phpmyadmin/): don’t use the Plesk password.

URL access to phpMyAdmin

By default the /phpmyadmin/ path is public. Attackers scan for it systematically. Protection:

• We configure an IP whitelist for phpMyAdmin server-side — open a ticket
• Or directory protection via .htaccess

No sensitive queries in the URL

phpMyAdmin URL-encoded SQL ends up in browser history and server logs. For password updates, enter them directly in the form field instead.

Performance

phpMyAdmin is browser-based — slow with very large tables (>10 GB).

For power users:

• MySQL Workbench (GUI, faster)
• TablePlus (Mac, polished)
• DBeaver (cross-platform, free)

Set up with remote MySQL access or an SSH tunnel.

Common pitfalls

Import aborts with “MySQL server has gone away”

Long queries hit the timeout. Solution: split the dump into smaller pieces (split on Linux/Mac, or online tools).

”Foreign key constraint fails”

When importing filtered data, the FK checks get in the way. Workaround:

SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 0;
-- your import
SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1;

“Lost connection to MySQL server”

With long-running imports / queries. Raise the PHP settings (max_execution_time).

Encoding problems after import

Charset mismatch between source and target. Before importing in phpMyAdmin: set the charset to utf8mb4.

Frequently asked questions

Can I log SQL statements? Not in phpMyAdmin itself. Server-side there’s a MySQL query log on request.

phpMyAdmin is very slow — clear a cache? Clear the browser cache. Sometimes phpMyAdmin caches sessions.

Multiple DBs open in phpMyAdmin at the same time? Yes, in multiple browser tabs. Auto-login per tab.

Visualize the table schema? The Designer tab shows graphical table relationships with foreign keys.

See routines / stored procedures? Routines tab. Plus Triggers and Events in the tabs next to it.

Can I update phpMyAdmin myself? No, it’s server-managed. We keep phpMyAdmin current with the Plesk updates.

Excel import — is that possible? Import tab → format: CSV (export Excel as CSV). Column mapping in phpMyAdmin.

Lots of tables — poor performance. The table list in the sidebar gets slow with very many tables (>500). phpMyAdmin settings → “limit list” helps.

What’s next

• Creating a MySQL database
• WordPress Toolkit in Plesk
• Creating backups and restoring