Fill Omitted Columns With DEFAULT

Define a column default so inserts can omit routine values and still store a complete row.

Created Apr 26, 2026 Last updated Apr 26, 2026 0/5 supported engines validation-green 1 example 2 scenarios

Docker-validated Not currently validation-green

Example 1

Insert tasks without repeating the starting status

The first insert omits status, so the database stores the default value open. The second insert supplies blocked, which overrides the default for that row.

Source table data Rows loaded before the example query runs.

Setup

CREATE TABLE tasks (
  id INT,
  title VARCHAR(50),
  status VARCHAR(20) DEFAULT 'open'
);

Validated query Shared across supported engines.

SQL

INSERT INTO
  tasks (id, title)
VALUES
  (1, 'Review invoice');

INSERT INTO
  tasks (id, title, status)
VALUES
  (2, 'Ship order', 'blocked');

SELECT
  id,
  title,
  status
FROM
  tasks
ORDER BY
  id;

Expected result Returned rows for the shared example.

id	title	status
1	Review invoice	open
2	Ship order	blocked

Literal defaults behave the same way across supported engines in this example.

Useful when

Where this command helps.

giving new rows a starting status without repeating it in every insert
keeping insert statements focused on the values callers actually provide

Explanation

What the command is doing.

A column DEFAULT is used when an INSERT statement leaves that column out. Defaults are useful for status flags, counters, timestamps, and other values that usually start the same way. They are different from COALESCE, which only substitutes a value in a query result; a default writes the fallback value into the table at insert time.

Fill Omitted Columns With DEFAULT

Insert tasks without repeating the starting status

Where this command helps.

What the command is doing.

Keep moving through nearby tasks.