What Does TRUNCATE TABLE Do in SQL?

TRUNCATE TABLE Explained

The SQL command TRUNCATE TABLE removes all rows from a table at once — quickly and efficiently.
Unlike DELETE, which deletes rows one by one, TRUNCATE empties the entire table without affecting its structure.

That means columns, data types, indexes, and permissions remain intact — only the data is gone.

When to Use TRUNCATE

Use TRUNCATE TABLE when

• you want to clear all data from a table,
• you don’t need a WHERE clause, and
• speed matters.

Example:

TRUNCATE TABLE customers;

This command instantly removes all records from the customers table while keeping the table ready for new data.

Key Differences: TRUNCATE vs. DELETE

Important Notes

• You cannot truncate a table that is referenced by a foreign key.
• In most databases, TRUNCATE is treated as a DDL command (Data Definition Language), like CREATE or DROP.
• Best practice: use TRUNCATE for temporary or helper tables where you’re certain the data can be safely removed.