MySQL + SQL · Lesson 91
EXPLAIN Query Plan in MySQL
What is EXPLAIN?
EXPLAIN shows how MySQL will run a query — which indexes it uses and how many rows it scans. It is the first tool for fixing slow queries.
Example
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM students WHERE marks > 80;Look at the type and key columns: type=ALL means a full table scan (slow); a named key means an index is used (fast).
Summary
- EXPLAIN reveals the query plan: indexes used and rows scanned.
- type=ALL = full scan (add an index); a key = index used.