SQL WHERE Clause: Filter Rows With AND, OR, IN, LIKE and BETWEEN

WHERE decides which rows you get.

Direct answer

WHERE filters rows using conditions. Combine conditions with AND and OR, test lists with IN, ranges with BETWEEN and text patterns with LIKE. Use IS NULL for missing values.

Examples

SELECT * FROM orders WHERE total > 100;

SELECT * FROM customers
WHERE city = 'Lagos' AND active = 1;

SELECT * FROM products WHERE category IN ('books', 'games');

SELECT * FROM orders
WHERE created_at BETWEEN '2026-01-01' AND '2026-01-31';

SELECT * FROM customers WHERE name LIKE 'A%';

SELECT * FROM customers WHERE phone IS NULL;

Operators

Operator	Meaning
=, <>	equal, not equal
>, <, >=, <=	comparisons
AND, OR, NOT	combine conditions
IN	matches a list
LIKE	text pattern

Common mistakes

• Using = NULL instead of IS NULL.
• Mixing AND and OR without brackets.
• Forgetting quotes around text.

Where Teyro fits

Teyro's SQL and Databases for Beginners course turns this into short lessons you can play in a few minutes a day. It has 50 lessons, and you can start free.

The bottom line

Filter early, use brackets for clarity and test with small queries.

More guides

• INNER JOIN vs LEFT JOIN
• Primary Key in SQL
• Foreign Key in SQL
• Sql select statement
• SQL and Databases for Beginners course