# MATCH AGAINST

## Syntax

```sql
MATCH (col1,col2,...) AGAINST (expr [search_modifier])
```

## Description

A special construct used to perform a fulltext search on a fulltext index.

See [Fulltext Index Overview](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/ha-and-performance/optimization-and-tuning/optimization-and-indexes/full-text-indexes/full-text-index-overview) for a full description, and [Full-text Indexes](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/ha-and-performance/optimization-and-tuning/optimization-and-indexes/full-text-indexes) for more articles on the topic.

## Examples

```sql
CREATE TABLE ft_myisam(copy TEXT,FULLTEXT(copy)) ENGINE=MyISAM;

INSERT INTO ft_myisam(copy) VALUES ('Once upon a time'), ('There was a wicked witch'), 
 ('Who ate everybody up');

SELECT * FROM ft_myisam WHERE MATCH(copy) AGAINST('wicked');
+--------------------------+
| copy                     |
+--------------------------+
| There was a wicked witch |
+--------------------------+
```

```sql
SELECT id, body, MATCH (title,body) AGAINST
    ('Security implications of running MySQL as root'
    IN NATURAL LANGUAGE MODE) AS score
    FROM articles WHERE MATCH (title,body) AGAINST
    ('Security implications of running MySQL as root'
    IN NATURAL LANGUAGE MODE);
+----+-------------------------------------+-----------------+
| id | body                                | score           |
+----+-------------------------------------+-----------------+
|  4 | 1. Never run mysqld as root. 2. ... | 1.5219271183014 |
|  6 | When configured properly, MySQL ... | 1.3114095926285 |
+----+-------------------------------------+-----------------+
```

<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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