How to Import a Compressed SQL File into MySQL

If your database backup ends in .sql.gz, .sql.zip, .sql.bz2, or another compressed format, you do not need to fully unpack it first in many cases. The fastest method is usually to stream the decompressed SQL directly into the MySQL client, because mysql supports batch execution from standard input and script files.

This guide shows the cleanest way to import compressed SQL dumps into MySQL on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with ready-to-use commands for the most common archive types.

Why import compressed SQL backups directly?

Compressed SQL backups save disk space and bandwidth. For formats that support output to standard output, you can pipe the decompressed stream straight into mysql, which avoids creating another large temporary .sql file on disk. The mysql client supports noninteractive input, and common compression tools such as gzip, bzip2, xz, and zstd support decompression to standard output.

Basic MySQL import syntax

The plain import pattern is:

mysql -u USER -p DATABASE < backup.sql

For compressed files, you replace the plain file with a decompression command that sends SQL to standard output and pipe that into MySQL.

Before you start

Make sure the destination database already exists unless your dump file creates it. Also avoid putting the password directly on the command line when possible. MySQL says that the safest methods are to let the client prompt for the password or to use a protected option file or login path such as .mylogin.cnf.

A safer connection example is:

mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Or with a saved login path:

mysql --login-path=local DATABASE

How to import every common compressed SQL format

Import .sql.gz files

Use gunzip -c or gzip -dc:

gunzip -c backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

gzip -dc backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

GNU gzip -d for decompress and -c for writing to standard output.

Import .sql.bz2 files

Use bzcat or bzip2 -dc:

bzcat backup.sql.bz2 | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

bzip2 -dc backup.sql.bz2 | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Import .sql.xz files

Use xz -dc:

xz -dc backup.sql.xz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Import .sql.lzma files

Use xz -dc if your system supports .lzma through xz:

xz -dc backup.sql.lzma | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

The xz tool supports both .xz and legacy .lzma streams.

Import .sql.zst or .sql.zstd files

Use zstd -dc:

zstd -dc backup.sql.zst | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

The zstd CLI uses command-line syntax similar to gzip and xz, and -d -c is the standard pattern for decompressing to standard output.

Import .zip files

ZIP archives often contain one SQL file inside. A practical way to stream the first file to MySQL is with funzip, which is designed to extract the first member to standard output. You can also use unzip -p on many systems.

funzip < backup.zip | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

unzip -p backup.zip | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

If you don’t have unzip installed, you can follow this tutorial on How to Install Zip and Unzip on Linux:

Import .tar.gz or .tgz files

A .tar.gz file is an archive plus compression, so first stream the inner SQL file out of the tarball:

tar -xOzf backup.tar.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

This works best when the tarball contains a single SQL dump. If it contains several files, list them first and extract the exact SQL file you want.

Import .tar.bz2 files

tar -xOjf backup.tar.bz2 | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Import .tar.xz files

tar -xOJf backup.tar.xz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Import .7z files

For 7-Zip archives, the command-line version supports extraction to standard output via -so. In practice, the clean pattern is to extract the SQL stream and pipe it to MySQL.

7z e -so backup.7z | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Import .rar files

RAR can also print a file to standard output using the p command.

unrar p -inul backup.rar | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Windows examples

On Windows, the easiest route is usually one of these:

Using Git Bash, WSL, or a Unix-like shell

gunzip -c backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

Using 7-Zip on Windows

7z e -so backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

If you only have a graphical archive tool and no streaming CLI installed, extract the file first and then run:

mysql -u USER -p DATABASE < backup.sql

Fastest way to import a compressed SQL dump

For most server backups, .gz is the most common format, and this is the command most people need:

gunzip -c backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

It is simple, disk-efficient, and aligns with MySQL’s documented batch input model.

Common errors and fixes

ERROR 1049 (42000): Unknown database

The target database does not exist yet. Create it first:

CREATE DATABASE your_database;

Then rerun the import.

Access denied for user

Double-check the username, password, host, and permissions.

mysql: [Warning] Using a password on the command line interface can be insecure

This warning appears when the password is passed directly in the command itself. MySQL recommends prompting for the password or using a protected option file or login path instead.

The archive contains multiple files

List the archive contents first, then extract only the SQL file you need. This matters most for ZIP, TAR, 7Z, and RAR files.

Best practices for importing large compressed SQL files

Use screen or tmux on Linux servers for long-running imports, make sure the database uses the right character set, and confirm there is enough disk space for MySQL temporary work even if the SQL stream itself is piped. After the import, validate row counts or check a few critical tables manually.

Final takeaway

If you want the simplest answer to how to import a compressed SQL file into MySQL, use the decompressor’s stdout mode and pipe it into the MySQL client. That works especially well for .gz, .bz2, .xz, and .zst backups, while archive containers such as ZIP, TAR, 7Z, and RAR may need you to target the SQL file inside the archive first. MySQL’s batch import support is what makes the whole workflow so efficient.

FAQ

Can MySQL import a .gz file directly?

Not by filename alone. The normal approach is to decompress to standard output and pipe the SQL into mysql, for example with gunzip -c backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE.

What is the best command to import a .sql.gz file into MySQL?

For most systems, this is the go-to command:

gunzip -c backup.sql.gz | mysql -u USER -p DATABASE

How do I import a ZIP SQL backup into MySQL?

If the ZIP contains a single SQL file, stream it with funzip or unzip -p and pipe it into MySQL. funzip is specifically documented for outputting the first archive member to stdout.

Should I use mysqlimport for SQL dump files?

Usually no. MySQL documents mysqlimport as a command-line interface to LOAD DATA, which is for text-file data import rather than replaying a full SQL dump containing statements like CREATE TABLE and INSERT.

Is it safe to put the MySQL password in the command line?

MySQL says that specifying a password on the command line should be considered insecure. Prompting for it or using a protected option file or login path is safer.