The quickest noninteractive command is:
mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Replace USER with the MySQL account name. The client prompts for that account’s password, executes SHOW DATABASES;, prints the result, and exits. For a server on another host, add -h HOST; add -P PORT when the server listens on a nondefault port.
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What the command does
SHOW DATABASES; is MySQL’s canonical statement for listing database names. The command-line client, mysql, can send that statement in either of two ways: with -e (also written --execute) from your normal shell, or after you open an interactive MySQL session.
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List databases without opening the MySQL prompt
Local server
mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"- Open your operating system’s terminal.
- Run the command, replacing
USERwith the account you intend to use. - When
mysqlasks for a password, enter it. The password is normally not displayed while you type. - Read the database names printed by the client. Because
-eexecutes the statement and exits, you return to your regular shell when the result is complete.
The semicolon terminates the SQL statement. Keep the double quotes around the whole statement when using this shell form; they prevent the shell from treating the space as an argument separator.
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Remote server
mysql -u USER -p -h HOST -e "SHOW DATABASES;"Use the server’s DNS name or IP address in place of HOST. If the service uses a nondefault TCP port, specify it with an uppercase -P:
mysql -u USER -p -h HOST -P PORT -e "SHOW DATABASES;"-h selects the host to which the client connects; -P selects the port. These options affect the connection, not the SQL statement or the set of databases the account is allowed to see.
Why use -e?
-e and its long form, --execute, tell the MySQL client to run the supplied SQL and then quit. This is the appropriate form when you already know the statement you want, need to include it in a shell script, or do not want an interactive session. Quote the complete SQL argument whenever it contains spaces or characters that your shell could interpret.
List databases interactively
Start the client without an SQL statement:
mysql -u USER -pAfter authentication, the prompt changes to mysql>. Enter:
SHOW DATABASES;The client prints the result and leaves you in the same session, so you can inspect a database, run another query, or issue additional administrative commands. End the session with exit, quit, or your terminal’s interrupt/EOF method.
Interactive mode is preferable when listing is only one step in a longer investigation. The -e form is more convenient when the list itself is the whole task.
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SHOW DATABASES and SHOW SCHEMAS are equivalent
MySQL treats SHOW SCHEMAS; as a synonym for SHOW DATABASES;. These commands return the same kind of database-name listing:
mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW SCHEMAS;"Choose whichever wording matches the terminology used by your team or application. Changing DATABASES to SCHEMAS does not broaden visibility or bypass permissions.
Use the mysqlshow utility
MySQL also supplies a separate command-line utility named mysqlshow. When you invoke it without a database argument, it displays database names:
mysqlshow -u USER -p -h HOSTFor a local server, omit -h HOST:
mysqlshow -u USER -pThe MySQL reference describes this behavior as: “If no database is given, a list of database names is shown.” Like SHOW DATABASES, mysqlshow only shows names for which the connected account has privileges. Supply the same connection options you need for the server you are contacting, including -P PORT where applicable.
Choose the right approach
| Approach | How it runs | Best fit | Connection options | Filtering | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mysql -e "SHOW DATABASES;" |
Executes SQL from the shell and exits | One-off checks and scripted commands | -u, -p, -h, -P |
Use SQL such as LIKE or WHERE |
Controlled by the account’s privileges and server settings |
Interactive mysql |
Opens a mysql> session, then accepts SQL |
Listing followed by more queries | The same client options | Enter a filtered SQL statement at the prompt | Controlled by the account’s privileges and server settings |
mysqlshow |
Utility wrapper; no database argument lists names | A quick utility-style listing | -u, -p, -h, -P |
Use the utility’s supported arguments or run SQL with mysql when SQL filtering is needed |
Shows only databases for which the account has privileges |
The SQL statement is the most direct and portable choice when you need an explicit filter or want the command to be obvious in a script. Interactive mode keeps the connection open for follow-up work. mysqlshow is convenient when all you need is the utility’s database-name view.
Filter the list instead of showing every visible database
Prefix matching with LIKE
To list only databases whose names begin with app, pass a pattern to the SQL statement:
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mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES LIKE 'app%';"Here, % matches any sequence of characters. The pattern is part of the SQL, so keep the complete statement inside the shell’s quotes. A pattern such as '%test%' can match names containing test anywhere, subject to MySQL’s name-comparison rules.
Use a WHERE expression for broader filtering
The SQL reference also permits a WHERE expression with SHOW DATABASES. For example:
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Why your list may be incomplete
MySQL normally limits visibility by privilege
MySQL normally shows only databases on which the connected account has some privilege. Therefore, a successful command can return a shorter list than the set of databases physically present on the server. A missing name is not, by itself, proof that the database does not exist.
The account’s grants determine the names visible to that account. Run the listing again with an account that has the required access, or ask a MySQL administrator to check the grants when you need a server-wide inventory.
The SHOW DATABASES privilege provides broader visibility
The global SHOW DATABASES privilege permits broader database visibility. It is a privilege decision, not a different command-line syntax. If an administrator grants it, the same SHOW DATABASES; statement can show more names for that account than it did before.
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The server may use --skip-show-database
If the server was started with --skip-show-database, the SHOW DATABASES statement cannot be used unless the account has the SHOW DATABASES privilege. In that configuration, an account that previously relied on ordinary database privileges may receive an error or fail to obtain the expected listing.
When the command behaves differently across servers, check both the account’s privileges and the server’s startup configuration before changing the SQL. The client command is often correct even when the result is intentionally restricted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the connection before troubleshooting SQL
Authentication or connection failure
If the client cannot authenticate, the server never reaches SHOW DATABASES;. Verify the user name, password, host, and port. A remote command that omits -h may connect to a local endpoint instead of the intended server; an incorrect -P can point to a different service or a closed port.
mysql -u USER -p -h HOST -P PORT -e "SHOW DATABASES;"Keep the host and port options in the same command while diagnosing so you know exactly which endpoint is being tested.
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The command runs but names are missing
First confirm that you authenticated as the intended account. Then consider the account’s database privileges, the global SHOW DATABASES privilege, and the server’s --skip-show-database setting. Do not treat a partial result as a complete server inventory unless the account is authorized for that scope.
The shell does not pass the statement as intended
Use one quoted SQL argument:
mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"Unquoted spaces can split the statement into separate shell arguments. Quoting also keeps SQL wildcard and punctuation characters from being interpreted by the shell before mysql receives them.
You need to see the result and continue working
Drop -e and open an interactive session:
mysql -u USER -pThen run SHOW DATABASES; at the prompt. This separates the connection step from the SQL step and lets you issue follow-up statements without reconnecting.
Connection and password practices
Use -p without placing the password directly in the command when you want the client to prompt for it. A prompt avoids exposing the password in the command you are currently typing and keeps the examples suitable for shared shell history. The database list itself is governed by MySQL permissions, regardless of whether you use an interactive or noninteractive command.
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For a remote listing, make the destination explicit and keep the port with the command when it is nondefault:
mysql -u USER -p -h HOST -P PORT -e "SHOW DATABASES;"If you are unsure which endpoint a command reached, check the values you supplied rather than inferring the destination from the output. Database names alone do not identify the host on which they were returned.
Practical command patterns
All databases visible to a local account
mysql -u report_user -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"All databases visible on a remote host
mysql -u report_user -p -h db.example.internal -e "SHOW DATABASES;"A remote host on a specified port
mysql -u report_user -p -h db.example.internal -P 3307 -e "SHOW DATABASES;"Only application databases with a common prefix
mysql -u report_user -p -e "SHOW DATABASES LIKE 'app%';"The equivalent schema wording
mysql -u report_user -p -e "SHOW SCHEMAS;"Utility output with mysqlshow
mysqlshow -u report_user -p -h db.example.internalEach example uses the privileges of report_user. Substituting another account can change the result without changing the command.
A quick decision checklist
- Need one command that returns to the shell? Use
mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;". - Need to run more SQL after the listing? Start
mysql -u USER -pand enterSHOW DATABASES;. - Prefer the alternate terminology? Use
SHOW SCHEMAS;; it is synonymous withSHOW DATABASES;. - Need a utility that lists names when no database argument is supplied? Use
mysqlshow. - Connecting elsewhere? Add
-h HOST, and add-P PORTfor a nondefault port. - Need a subset? Use
LIKEor aWHEREexpression. - Seeing fewer names than expected? Check account privileges and whether the server uses
--skip-show-database.
What to remember
The essential command is mysql -u USER -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;". It executes the standard SQL statement from your shell and exits. Interactive mysql sessions, the synonymous SHOW SCHEMAS; statement, and the mysqlshow utility cover the other common workflows. Host, port, filtering, and output choices change how you connect or what you display; privileges and the server’s --skip-show-database setting determine which database names can appear.
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