# Accessing phpMyAdmin

> Open phpMyAdmin from cPanel to browse, edit, import and export your MySQL (MariaDB) databases.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/accessing-phpmyadmin-and-phppgadmin/

**phpMyAdmin** is a web tool for working with your databases: browsing tables, running SQL queries, importing and exporting data, and repairing tables. It's included with every Ruachost hosting plan, so there's nothing to install.

## Open phpMyAdmin

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Under **Databases**, click **phpMyAdmin**.
3. phpMyAdmin opens in a new tab and logs you in automatically. Your databases are listed on the left.

Click a database name to see its tables, then a table to see its data.

> **Back up before you change anything:**
Changes in phpMyAdmin take effect immediately and can't be undone. Before editing or deleting data, [export a copy of the database](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/developers/databases/importing-and-exporting-a-mysql-database/).

## What you can do

- **Run SQL:** select a database, open the **SQL** tab, type a query and click **Go**.
- **Import and export:** use the **Import** and **Export** tabs. See [Importing and exporting a MySQL database](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/developers/databases/importing-and-exporting-a-mysql-database/), and [Importing a large database](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/importing-a-large-database/) for big files.
- **Repair and optimise tables:** see [Optimizing and repairing MySQL databases using phpMyAdmin](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/optimizing-and-repairing-mysql-databases-using-phpmyadmin/).
- **Copy a database:** see [Using phpMyAdmin to copy a MySQL database](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/using-phpmyadmin-to-copy-a-mysql-database/).

## What phpMyAdmin can't do here

To **create or delete databases and users**, or change a user's password or permissions, use cPanel's **Manage My Databases** instead. See [Managing MySQL databases and users](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/managing-mysql-databases-and-users/).

## Good to know

- Ruachost hosting uses **MariaDB**, a fully MySQL-compatible database server. Everything in phpMyAdmin works the same way. See [Database limits and versions](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/cpanel/databases/database-limits-and-versions/).
- PostgreSQL and phpPgAdmin are available on Managed VPS only, not on shared hosting.
- You'll also see a database called `information_schema`. It's a read-only system database that describes your other databases. You can ignore it.