SQL – DEFAULT

The DEFAULT constraint specifies a value to use when an INSERT statement does not provide one for that column. Defaults reduce boilerplate, prevent accidental NULLs, and make inserts simpler by allowing you to omit optional column values entirely.

Defaults can be static literals (“General”, 0, TRUE) or dynamic expressions like date('now') for a timestamp or LOWER() for automatic formatting. They make schemas more self-service and reduce bugs from forgetting to set routine values.

Useful default patterns

status      TEXT    DEFAULT 'pending'
created_at  TEXT    DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
is_active   INTEGER DEFAULT 1
priority    INTEGER DEFAULT 5
country     TEXT    DEFAULT 'IN'

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Key Points

• DEFAULT provides automatic values when a column is omitted from INSERT
• Dynamic defaults like date(‘now’) run at insert time
• DEFAULT values can be overridden by providing an explicit value
• Combine DEFAULT with NOT NULL to guarantee a value is always present

Pro Tip from CodesCompiler: The best way to learn SQL is to break things intentionally — modify the query above, change the WHERE conditions, try different columns. Every error teaches you something the docs cannot.

In the next lesson, we continue exploring SQL’s powerful feature set to build your database mastery.