Using SSH can be an excellent way to manage the files and databases on your account. Using a simple command, you can import or export a MySQL database into an existing database on your account. Please refer to our Article SSH Access if you do not currently have access. If you are looking for instructions for importing or exporting databases using phpMyAdmin, please see Import Databases with phpMyAdmin.

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• Exporting MySQL Data
• Importing MySQL Data

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Exporting MySQL Data

This example shows you how-to export a database. It is a good idea to export your data often as a backup.

1. Using SSH, execute the following command:

   mysqldump -p -u username database_name > dbname.sql

2. You will be prompted for a password, type in the username password, and press Enter. Replace username, password, and database_name with your MySQL username, password, and database name.

The file dbname.sql now holds a backup of your database and is ready for download to your computer. To export a single table from your database, you would use the following command:

mysqldump -p --user=username database_name tableName > tableName.sql

Again you would need to replace the username, database, and tableName with the correct information. Once done, the table specified would then be saved to your account as tableName.sql.

Import A MySQL Database

The file must be in .sql format. It can not be compressed in a .zip or .tar.gz file.

1. Start by uploading the .sql file onto the Bluehost server.
2. If you haven't already done so, create the MySQL database via the control panel. Click here for further instructions.
3. Using SSH, navigate to the directory where your .sql file is.
4. Next, run this command:

   mysql -p -u username database_name < file.sql

To import a single table into an existing database, you would use the following command:

mysql -u username -p -D database_name < tableName.sql