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Database Manager

 

What This Page Does

The Database Manager lets you view, search, and manage all the data that powers your site -- directly from the admin panel. You can look up information stored in your site's tables, make changes to individual records, create safety backups before making edits, and restore those backups if something goes wrong.

Warning: This is a powerful tool. Making changes here affects your entire site. Always create a backup before editing or deleting anything. If you are unsure about what a piece of data does, do not change it.

[Screenshot: database-manager-overview]

How to Get Here

Navigate to Admin Panel > Templates > Database Manager

You can also reach it from the navigation bar at the top of any Templates page by clicking Database.

Understanding the Page

When you first open the Database Manager, you will see several areas on the screen.

Safety Warning Banner

A red banner at the top reminds you to be careful when making changes. You can dismiss it by clicking Dismiss, but it will reappear next time you visit as a helpful reminder.

Tip: Read the safety tips in the banner at least once. They are short and can save you from accidentally losing data.

Backup Recovery Center

Below the warning banner is a collapsible green panel called the Backup Recovery Center. Click the panel header to expand or collapse it. This is where all your saved backups are listed. You will also see a badge showing how many backups you currently have.

Tables Panel (Left Side)

The left side of the page shows a list of all the data tables on your site. Each table stores a different type of information (videos, users, settings, and so on). Next to each table name you will see a number showing how many records it contains.

At the very top of the list is your database name. Clicking it gives you a high-level overview of everything.

You can type in the Filter box above the list to quickly find a specific table by name.

Main Panel (Right Side)

The right side is where you work with your data. It has four tabs along the top:

  • Browse -- View the data inside a table, page by page
  • Structure -- See what types of information a table stores
  • Search -- Find specific records
  • SQL Query -- For advanced users who know how to write database commands

Table Toolbar

When you select a table, a toolbar appears with action buttons. These let you create backups, run maintenance tasks, export data, copy tables, and more.

Common Tasks

How to Browse Your Data

Use this when you want to look at the records stored in a table.

  1. Click a table name in the left panel.
  2. The Browse tab opens automatically, showing your data in rows and columns.
  3. Click any column header to sort the data by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order.
  4. Use the page navigation at the bottom to move through large sets of records.
  5. Hover over any value that appears cut off to see the full content in a tooltip.
Tip: If you just want a quick overview of all your tables and how much data each one holds, click the database name at the top of the left panel instead of a specific table.

How to Search for Something in a Table

Use this when you need to find a specific record, such as a particular user or video.

  1. Click the table name you want to search in.
  2. Click the Search tab.
  3. Select the Column you want to search (for example, "title" or "email").
  4. Choose a Search Type:
  • Contains -- Finds records where the column includes your search text anywhere
  • Exact Match -- Finds records that match your search text exactly
  • Starts With -- Finds records where the column begins with your search text
  • Ends With -- Finds records where the column ends with your search text
  1. Type your search text in the Search Value box.
  2. Click Search.
  3. Matching records appear below.

How to Search Across Your Entire Site

Use this when you know a word or phrase exists somewhere but you are not sure which table it is in.

  1. Click the database name at the top of the left panel.
  2. Click the Search tab.
  3. Type your search text in the box. It must be at least 2 characters long.
  4. Click Search All Tables.
  5. The results show which tables contain matches and how many were found.
  6. Click any table name in the results to go directly to that table.
Note: Searching across all tables checks every text-based column in every table, so it may take a few seconds on larger sites.

How to Edit a Record

Use this when you need to change a specific piece of data, such as correcting a typo in a title.

  1. Browse to the table that contains the record you want to change.
  2. Find the record in the list.
  3. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) on the left side of that row.
  4. A form opens showing all the fields for that record.
  5. Make your changes in the appropriate fields.
  6. If you need to clear a field completely, check the NULL checkbox next to it.
  7. Click Save Changes.
Tip: Before editing anything important, create a backup of the table first. That way you can undo your changes if needed.
Note: Some fields cannot be edited because they are automatically generated by the system. These appear grayed out in the form.

How to Delete a Record

Use this when you need to permanently remove a specific record.

  1. Browse to the table that contains the record.
  2. Find the record in the list.
  3. Click the Delete button (trash icon) on the left side of that row.
  4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
Warning: Deleting a record is permanent. If you are not sure whether you should delete something, create a backup of the table first.

How to Create a Backup

Backups are your safety net. Always create one before making changes.

To back up a single table:

  1. Click the table name in the left panel.
  2. Click the Backup button in the toolbar.
  3. Choose a backup type:
  • Full -- Saves everything (recommended)
  • Structure Only -- Saves the table layout but not the data
  • Data Only -- Saves the data but not the table layout
  1. Click Create Backup.
  2. Your backup appears in the Backup Recovery Center.
Tip: Always choose Full unless you have a specific reason not to. A full backup gives you the most complete recovery option.

To back up your entire database:

  1. Click the database name at the top of the left panel.
  2. Click the Backup button.
  3. The backup starts automatically.
  4. Wait for the confirmation message. Large databases may take a minute or two.
Note: You can only run one full database backup at a time. If a backup is already running, you will need to wait for it to finish before starting another.

How to Restore a Backup

Use this to undo changes by returning a table to a previous state.

  1. Expand the Backup Recovery Center panel by clicking its green header.
  2. Find the backup you want to restore in the list.
  3. Click the Restore button next to it.
  4. Confirm that you want to restore.
Warning: Restoring a backup replaces the current data in that table. Consider creating a new backup of the current state first, in case you need it later.

How to Download a Backup

  1. Expand the Backup Recovery Center panel.
  2. Find the backup you want.
  3. Click the Download button next to it.
  4. The file saves to your computer.

How to Delete a Backup

  1. Expand the Backup Recovery Center panel.
  2. Find the backup you no longer need.
  3. Click the Delete button next to it.
  4. Confirm the deletion.

How to Export a Table

Use this to download a copy of a table's data to your computer.

  1. Click the table name in the left panel.
  2. Click the Export button in the toolbar.
  3. Choose a format:
  • SQL -- A full export including the table structure and data (best for backups or moving data between sites)
  • CSV -- A spreadsheet-friendly format with just the data (best for opening in Excel or Google Sheets)
  1. Click Export.
  2. The file downloads to your computer automatically.

How to Copy a Table

Use this to create a duplicate of an existing table.

  1. Click the table name you want to copy in the left panel.
  2. Click the Copy button in the toolbar.
  3. Enter a name for the new copy.
  4. Choose whether to copy Structure and Data (full copy) or Structure Only (empty copy with the same layout).
  5. Click Copy Table.
Tip: Copying a table before experimenting with changes is a great way to keep your original data safe.

How to Run Maintenance on a Table

The toolbar includes maintenance actions that help keep your tables running smoothly:

Action What It Does
Analyze Updates the table's internal statistics so your site runs queries faster
Check Looks for errors or corruption in the table
Optimize Cleans up wasted space and improves performance
Repair Attempts to fix a table that has become corrupted

To run any of these:

  1. Click the table name in the left panel.
  2. Click the action button in the toolbar (for example, Optimize).
  3. Wait for the confirmation message.
Note: These maintenance actions are safe to run and do not change your data. Running Optimize occasionally can help keep your site fast.

How to Empty a Table (Truncate)

This removes all data from a table but keeps the table itself.

  1. Click the table name in the left panel.
  2. Click the Truncate button in the toolbar.
  3. Type YES in the first confirmation box and click Continue.
  4. Type YES again in the second confirmation box and click the final button.
Warning: This permanently deletes all data in the table. Make sure you have a backup before doing this. The double confirmation exists to protect you from accidental clicks.

How to Delete a Table (Drop)

This permanently removes a table and all its data from your site.

  1. Click the table name in the left panel.
  2. Click the Drop button in the toolbar.
  3. Type YES in the first confirmation box and click Continue.
  4. Type YES again in the second confirmation box and click the final button.
Warning: Dropping a table is the most destructive action available. The table and all its data are permanently gone. Only do this if you are absolutely certain the table is no longer needed, and always create a backup first.

Filtering the Table List

Type a keyword into the Filter tables... box at the top of the left panel. The list updates instantly to show only tables whose names match what you typed.

To clear the filter, delete the text from the box.

Searching Within a Table

See the "How to Search for Something in a Table" section above for detailed steps.

Searching Across All Tables

See the "How to Search Across Your Entire Site" section above for detailed steps.

View Modes

Database Overview

When you click the database name at the top of the left panel, the Browse tab shows a summary of all your tables. This includes the number of tables, total records, and the amount of storage space used. You can click any table name in this overview to jump directly to that table.

Table Data View

When you click a specific table, the Browse tab shows the actual data stored inside it, displayed in a grid with rows and columns. You can scroll left and right if the table is wide, and the action buttons stay pinned to the left so they are always accessible.

Tips for New Users

Tip:
  • Back up before you change anything. This is the most important habit you can build. Backups take seconds and can save you hours of headache.
  • Start by browsing, not editing. Get comfortable looking at your data before making any changes. Click through a few tables to understand what information is stored where.
  • Use search to find things quickly. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of records, use the Search tab to jump straight to what you need.
  • Do not delete or empty tables you do not recognize. Your site depends on many tables working together. Removing the wrong one can cause errors across your site.
  • Keep your backups organized. Download important backups to your computer for extra safety. Do not rely solely on the backups stored on your server.

Troubleshooting

The table list is not loading

What you see: The left panel shows "Loading tables..." and never finishes.

How to fix it:

  1. Refresh the page by pressing F5 or clicking the refresh button in your browser.
  2. If that does not work, clear your browser cache and try again.
  3. If the problem continues, your database service may be temporarily unavailable. Wait a few minutes and try again, or contact your hosting provider.

 

I cannot find the Edit or Delete buttons on a row

What you see: The rows in the Browse tab do not have pencil or trash icons on the left side.

How to fix it:
This happens when a table does not have a unique identifier for each row. Unfortunately, you cannot use the visual editor for this table. If you need to make changes, contact a developer or someone experienced with database commands to assist you.

My search across all tables returned no results

What you see: You searched for a word but the results say "No matching records found."

How to fix it:

  1. Double-check your spelling.
  2. Make sure your search text is at least 2 characters long.
  3. Try a shorter or more general version of your search term.
  4. Keep in mind that this search only looks in text-based fields. Numbers stored in numeric-only fields will not be found this way. Try searching within a specific table using the Search tab instead.

 

A backup failed to create

What you see: An error message appears when you try to create a backup.

How to fix it:

  1. Try creating a backup of a single table instead of the entire database.
  2. If single-table backups also fail, there may be a storage or permissions issue on your server. Contact your hosting provider or system administrator for help.

 

I accidentally changed or deleted something

What you see: You made a change you did not intend to make.

How to fix it:

  1. Open the Backup Recovery Center by clicking the green panel header.
  2. Find the most recent backup for the affected table.
  3. Click Restore and confirm.
  4. If you do not have a backup, contact a developer for assistance. They may be able to recover data from server-level backups.

 

Tip: This is exactly why creating backups before making changes is so important.

The page says my session expired

What you see: A message saying "Session expired. Please refresh the page and log in again."

How to fix it:

  1. Refresh the page.
  2. Log in again when prompted.
  3. Any unsaved changes will be lost, so you will need to redo them.

 

Note: Sessions expire after a period of inactivity. If you plan to spend a long time reviewing data, refresh the page occasionally to keep your session active.
Page When to Use It
Template Dashboard For an overview of all template management tools, including quick links to each one
File Editor When you need to view or edit the files that make up your site's pages and styles
Style Manager When you want to change your site's colors, fonts, and visual appearance
Layout Manager When you want to rearrange how content is displayed on your site's pages
Media Manager When you need to manage uploaded images, videos, and other media files

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