MySQL LOCATE() Function

Search for "3" in string "W3Schools.com", and return position:

SELECT LOCATE("3", "W3Schools.com") AS MatchPosition;

Definition and Usage

The LOCATE() function returns the position of the first occurrence of a substring in a string.

If the substring is not found within the original string, this function returns 0.

This function performs a case-insensitive search.

Note: This function is equal to the POSITION() function.

LOCATE(substring, string, start)

Parameter	Description
substring	Required. The substring to search for in string
string	Required. The string that will be searched
start	Optional. The starting position for the search. Position 1 is default

Works in:	From MySQL 4.0

Search for "com" in string "W3Schools.com" (start at position 3), and return position:

SELECT LOCATE("com", "W3Schools.com", 3) AS MatchPosition;

Search for "a" in CustomerName column, and return position:

SELECT LOCATE("a", CustomerName)
FROM Customers;