MySQL LIKE Operator Optimization

Question: Can the performance of the MySQL LIKE operator be improved when using wildcards (e.g., '%test%')?

Answer: Yes, MySQL can optimize LIKE operator performance when using a specific pattern in your query.

• Prefix Wildcard: If your query resembles foo LIKE 'abc%' or foo LIKE 'abc�f%', MySQL can leverage an index. It can employ the index for any portion of the string before the first wildcard.
• Full-Text Search for Anywhere Matching: If you need to locate a word anywhere in a string, consider using FULLTEXT indexes instead. FULLTEXT indexing is specifically designed for efficient word matching and can outperform LIKE operator with wildcards in such scenarios.

Additional Information:

• MySQL Indexes: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/mysql-indexes.html
• FULLTEXT Search: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/fulltext-search.html