Table of Contents
How FIND_IN_SET() Works
Key Points and Usage Tips
Practical Example
Limitations
Home Database Mysql Tutorial What is the FIND_IN_SET() function in MySQL?

What is the FIND_IN_SET() function in MySQL?

Aug 18, 2025 am 07:57 AM

FIND_IN_SET() returns the 1-based position of a string in a comma-separated list, or 0 if not found, and is useful for searching denormalized data; however, it requires exact matches, is case-insensitive by default, performs poorly on large tables due to lack of index support, and should be avoided in favor of normalized designs with junction tables for better performance and scalability.

What is the FIND_IN_SET() function in MySQL?

The FIND_IN_SET() function in MySQL is used to find the position of a string within a comma-separated list of strings. It’s helpful when you need to search for a value in a SET-type field or any string that stores multiple values separated by commas.

How FIND_IN_SET() Works

The function takes two arguments:

  • FIND_IN_SET(search_string, comma_separated_list)

It returns:

  • The position (1-based index) of search_string in the list if found.
  • 0 if the string is not found.
  • NULL if either argument is NULL.

For example:

SELECT FIND_IN_SET('apple', 'banana,apple,orange');
-- Returns: 2

Here, 'apple' is the second item in the list, so the function returns 2.

Key Points and Usage Tips

  • Exact Match Required: The search is for an exact match. Partial matches or extra spaces can cause failures.

    SELECT FIND_IN_SET('app', 'apple,banana'); -- Returns: 0
  • Case Insensitivity: The function performs a case-insensitive comparison when using case-insensitive collations (which is the default in many setups).

    SELECT FIND_IN_SET('Apple', 'apple,banana'); -- Returns: 1
  • Use with Caution in Large Tables: Since FIND_IN_SET() operates on string parsing, it can’t use standard indexes efficiently. Using it in WHERE clauses may lead to full table scans and performance issues.

  • Better Alternatives Exist: Storing comma-separated values in a single column violates database normalization rules. A better design is to use a separate junction table for one-to-many or many-to-many relationships.

    Instead of:

    users table: id | hobbies
                 1  | 'reading,swimming'

    Use:

    users:       id | name
    user_hobbies: user_id | hobby

    Then query with JOIN or IN, which are more efficient and scalable.

Practical Example

Suppose you have a table projects where each project has a tags field like 'web,design,frontend':

SELECT name FROM projects 
WHERE FIND_IN_SET('design', tags) > 0;

This returns all projects that have 'design' as one of the tags.

Limitations

  • Doesn’t handle spaces well. 'design' won’t match ' design' due to the leading space.
  • Not index-friendly — avoid in large datasets or high-performance applications.
  • Not a substitute for proper relational design.

Basically, FIND_IN_SET() is handy for quick checks or legacy systems with denormalized data, but it's not ideal for scalable or well-structured databases.

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