> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/string-functions/locate.md).

# LOCATE

## Syntax

```bnf
LOCATE(substr,str), LOCATE(substr,str,pos)
```

## Description

The first syntax returns the position of the first occurrence of substring `substr` in string `str`. The second syntax returns the position of the first occurrence of substring `substr` in string `str`, starting at position `pos`. Returns 0 if `substr` is not in `str`.

`LOCATE()` performs a case-insensitive search.

If any argument is `NULL`, returns `NULL.`

[INSTR()](/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/string-functions/instr.md) is the same as the two-argument form of `LOCATE()`, except that the order of the arguments is reversed.

## Examples

```sql
SELECT LOCATE('bar', 'foobarbar');
+----------------------------+
| LOCATE('bar', 'foobarbar') |
+----------------------------+
|                          4 |
+----------------------------+

SELECT LOCATE('My', 'Maria');
+-----------------------+
| LOCATE('My', 'Maria') |
+-----------------------+
|                     0 |
+-----------------------+

SELECT LOCATE('bar', 'foobarbar', 5);
+-------------------------------+
| LOCATE('bar', 'foobarbar', 5) |
+-------------------------------+
|                             7 |
+-------------------------------+
```

## See Also

* [INSTR()](/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/string-functions/instr.md) ; Returns the position of a string within a string
* [SUBSTRING\_INDEX()](/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/string-functions/substring_index.md) ; Returns the substring from string before count occurrences of a delimiter

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

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