Python MongoDB Insert Document


A document in MongoDB is the same as a record in SQL databases.

Insert Into Collection

To insert a record, or document as it is called in MongoDB, into a collection, we use the insert_one() method.

The first parameter of the insert_one() method is a dictionary containing the name(s) and value(s) of each field in the document you want to insert.

Example

Insert a record in the "customers" collection:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mydict = { "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37" }

x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)
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Return the _id Field

The insert_one() method returns a InsertOneResult object, which has a property, inserted_id, that holds the id of the inserted document.

Example

Insert another record in the "customers" collection, and return the value of the _id field:

mydict = { "name": "Peter", "address": "Lowstreet 27" }

x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)

print(x.inserted_id)
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If you do not specify an _id field, then MongoDB will add one for you and assign a unique id for each document.

In the example above no _id field was specified, so MongoDB assigned a unique _id for the record (document).



Insert Multiple Documents

To insert multiple documents into a collection in MongoDB, we use the insert_many() method.

The first parameter of the insert_many() method is a list containing dictionaries with the data you want to insert:

Example

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mylist = [
  { "name": "Amy", "address": "Apple st 652"},
  { "name": "Hannah", "address": "Mountain 21"},
  { "name": "Michael", "address": "Valley 345"},
  { "name": "Sandy", "address": "Ocean blvd 2"},
  { "name": "Betty", "address": "Green Grass 1"},
  { "name": "Richard", "address": "Sky st 331"},
  { "name": "Susan", "address": "One way 98"},
  { "name": "Vicky", "address": "Yellow Garden 2"},
  { "name": "Ben", "address": "Park Lane 38"},
  { "name": "William", "address": "Central st 954"},
  { "name": "Chuck", "address": "Main Road 989"},
  { "name": "Viola", "address": "Sideway 1633"}
]

x = mycol.insert_many(mylist)

#print list of the _id values of the inserted documents:
print(x.inserted_ids)
Run example »

The insert_many() method returns a InsertManyResult object, which has a property, inserted_ids, that holds the ids of the inserted documents.


Insert Multiple Documents, with Specified IDs

If you do not want MongoDB to assign unique ids for you document, you can specify the _id field when you insert the document(s).

Remember that the values has to be unique. Two documents cannot have the same _id.

Example

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mylist = [
  { "_id": 1, "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37"},
  { "_id": 2, "name": "Peter", "address": "Lowstreet 27"},
  { "_id": 3, "name": "Amy", "address": "Apple st 652"},
  { "_id": 4, "name": "Hannah", "address": "Mountain 21"},
  { "_id": 5, "name": "Michael", "address": "Valley 345"},
  { "_id": 6, "name": "Sandy", "address": "Ocean blvd 2"},
  { "_id": 7, "name": "Betty", "address": "Green Grass 1"},
  { "_id": 8, "name": "Richard", "address": "Sky st 331"},
  { "_id": 9, "name": "Susan", "address": "One way 98"},
  { "_id": 10, "name": "Vicky", "address": "Yellow Garden 2"},
  { "_id": 11, "name": "Ben", "address": "Park Lane 38"},
  { "_id": 12, "name": "William", "address": "Central st 954"},
  { "_id": 13, "name": "Chuck", "address": "Main Road 989"},
  { "_id": 14, "name": "Viola", "address": "Sideway 1633"}
]

x = mycol.insert_many(mylist)

#print list of the _id values of the inserted documents:
print(x.inserted_ids)
Run example »

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