UPDATE with a filter in SQL

UPDATE rewrites columns in the rows WHERE matches — all of them if you forget.

UPDATE orders
SET
    status = 'shipped',
    shipped_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
    attempts = attempts + 1
WHERE status = 'paid'
  AND placed_at < '2026-07-01';

How it works

1. SET takes one assignment per column, comma separated.
2. The WHERE clause is what keeps the change scoped.
3. An expression on the right can read the column's old value.

Keywords and builtins used here

• AND
• CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
• SET
• UPDATE
• WHERE

The run, in numbers

Lines

7

Characters to type

145

Tokens

25

Three-star pace

80 tpm

At the three-star pace of 80 tokens a minute, this run takes about 19 seconds.

Type this snippet

Step 6 of 8 in Tables & rows, step 19 of 23 in Language basics.

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