# Load Data from Local Files

To load data from local files, enable `LOCAL INFILE` by starting the SingleStore client with the `--local-infile` option. This option allows the client to read files from the local filesystem and send them to the database for ingestion using `LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE`.

The basic format for loading data into a table using local file is:

```
LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/example-directory/<file_name>'
    INTO TABLE <table_name>
    COLUMNS TERMINATED BY ',';
```

## Example Using a Local CSV File

Using this table format:

```sql
CREATE TABLE employees(emp_id INT,
  emp_lastname VARCHAR(25),emp_firstname VARCHAR(25),
  emp_title VARCHAR(25),dept VARCHAR(25),emp_city VARCHAR(25),
  emp_state VARCHAR(5),emp_ccode VARCHAR(4));
```

Load data from a local file location:

```sql
LOAD DATA INFILE '/tmp/emp_data.csv' 
INTO TABLE employees
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
ENCLOSED BY '"';
```

Verify the file loaded correctly:

```sql
SELECT * FROM employees;


```

```output

+--------+--------------+---------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+-----------+-----------+
| emp_id | emp_lastname | emp_firstname | emp_title     | dept      | emp_city     | emp_state | emp_ccode |
+--------+--------------+---------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+-----------+-----------+
|    102 |  Karras      |  Damien       |  Doctor       | R&D       | NYC          |  NY       |  US       |
|    110 |  Strode      |  Laurie       |  VP Sales     | Sales     | Haddonfield  |  IL       |  US       |
|     89 |  Whateley    |  Wilbur       |  CEO          | Sen_Mgmt  | Dunwich      |  MA       |  US       |
|    817 |  Eriksson    |  Oskar        |  Support      | IT        | Stockholm    |  NULL     |  SE       |
|    298 |  Denbrough   |  Bill         |  Salesperson  | Sales     | Bangor       |  ME       |  US       |
|    399 |  Torrance    |  Jack         |  PR Dir       | PR        | Estes Park   | CO        |  US       |
|    410 |  Wilkes      |  Annie        |  HR Mgr       | HR        | Silver Creek |  CO       |  US       |
|    312 |  Cady        |  Max          |  IT Dir       | IT        | New Essex    | FL        |  US       |
|    691 |  Grevers     |  Nick         |  Rep          | PR        | Grimnetz     |  NULL     |  CH       |
|     14 |  Bateman     |  Patrick      |  Prod_Mgr     | prod_dev  | NYC          |  NY       |  US       |
|     75 |  White       |  Carrie       |  Receptionist | HR        | Chamberlain  |  ME       |  US       |
|    263 |  MacNeil     |  Regan        |  R&D Mgr      | R&D       | Washington   |  DC       |  US       |
+--------+--------------+---------------+---------------+-----------+--------------+-----------+-----------+

```

## CSV FILE DATA

Below is the contents of the csv file used in the examples above.&#x20;

```csv
014, Bateman, Patrick,Prod_Mgr, prod_dev, NYC, NY, US
102, Karras, Damien, Doctor,R&D, NYC, NY, US
298, Denbrough, Bill, Salesperson,Sales, Bangor, ME, US
399, Torrance, Jack, PR Dir, PR,Estes Park,CO, US
410, Wilkes, Annie, HR Mgr,HR,Silver Creek, CO, US
110, Strode, Laurie, VP Sales,Sales, Haddonfield, IL, US
312, Cady, Max, IT Dir, IT, New Essex,FL, US
089, Whateley, Wilbur, CEO, Sen_Mgmt, Dunwich, MA, US
075, White, Carrie, Receptionist, HR,Chamberlain, ME, US
263, MacNeil, Regan, R&D Mgr,R&D, Washington, DC, US
817, Eriksson, Oskar, Support, IT, Stockholm, NULL, SE
691, Grevers, Nick, Rep, PR, Grimnetz, NULL, CH

```

***

Modified at: November 27, 2025

Source: [/db/v9.1/load-data/load-data-from-files/load-data-from-local-files/](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/load-data/load-data-from-files/load-data-from-local-files/)

(An index of the documentation is available at /llms.txt)