Queries

For detailed information on Cypher administrative commands, see Cypher Manual → Database management.

All commands and example queries in this section are run in the Neo4j Cypher Shell command-line interface (CLI).

Note that the cypher-shell queries are not case-sensitive, but must end with a semicolon.

Show the status of a specific database

Example 1. SHOW DATABASE
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASE neo4j;

In standalone mode:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name    | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

1 row available after 100 ms, consumed after another 6 ms

Or in a cluster:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name    | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default   | home  | constituents |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 row available after 100 ms, consumed after another 6 ms

Show the status of all databases

Example 2. SHOW DATABASES
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;

In standalone mode:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

2 rows available after 5 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Or in a cluster:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default   | home  | constituents |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

6 rows available after 5 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Switching between online and offline states is achieved using the START DATABASE and STOP DATABASE commands.

Note that databases hosted on offline servers are also returned by the SHOW DATABASES command. For such databases the address column displays NULL, the currentStatus column displays unknown, and the statusMessage displays Server is unavailable.

Show the status of the default database

The config setting initial.dbms.default_database defines which database is created and started by default when Neo4j starts. The default value of this setting is neo4j.

Example 3. SHOW DEFAULT DATABASE
neo4j@system> SHOW DEFAULT DATABASE;

In standalone mode:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name    | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | constituents |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | []           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

1 row available after 57 ms, consumed after another 2 ms

Or in a cluster:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name    | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage   | constituents |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""              | []           |
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""              | []           |
| "neo4j" | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""              | []           |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 row available after 57 ms, consumed after another 2 ms

Be aware that the automatically created initial default database may have a different topology to the default configuration values. See Default database in a cluster for more information.

To change the default database, see Change the default database.

In Community Edition, the default database is the only database available, other than the system database.

Create a database

Example 4. CREATE DATABASE
neo4j@system> CREATE DATABASE sales;
0 rows available after 108 ms, consumed after another 0 ms
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;

In standalone mode:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 rows available after 4 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Or in a cluster:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

9 rows available after 4 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Switch a database

Example 5. :use <database-name>
neo4j@system> :use sales
neo4j@sales>

Create or replace a database

Example 6. CREATE OR REPLACE DATABASE
neo4j@sales> match (n) return count(n) as countNode;
+-----------+
| countNode |
+-----------+
| 115       |
+-----------+

1 row available after 12 ms, consumed after another 0 ms
neo4j@system> CREATE OR REPLACE DATABASE sales;
0 rows available after 64 ms, consumed after another 0 ms
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;

In standalone mode:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 2 ms

Or in a cluster:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default   | home  | constituents |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE      | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE     | FALSE | []           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

9 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 2 ms
neo4j@system> :use sales
neo4j@sales> match (n) return count(n) as countNode;
+-----------+
| countNode |
+-----------+
| 0         |
+-----------+

1 row available after 15 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Stop a database

Example 7. STOP DATABASE
neo4j@system> STOP DATABASE sales;
0 rows available after 18 ms, consumed after another 6 ms
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;

In standalone mode:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "offline"       | "offline"     | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Or in a cluster:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "unknown" | FALSE  | "offline"       | "offline"     | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "unknown" | FALSE  | "offline"       | "offline"     | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "unknown" | FALSE  | "offline"       | "offline"     | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

9 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 1 ms
neo4j@system> :use sales
Unable to get a routing table for database 'sales' because this database is unavailable
neo4j@sales[UNAVAILABLE]>

Start a database

Example 8. START DATABASE
neo4j@sales[UNAVAILABLE]> :use system
neo4j@system> START DATABASE sales;
0 rows available after 21 ms, consumed after another 1 ms
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;

In standalone mode:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

3 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Or in a cluster:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7688" | "primary" | FALSE  | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
| "sales"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7689" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

9 rows available after 2 ms, consumed after another 1 ms

Drop or remove a database

Example 9. DROP DATABASE
neo4j@system> DROP DATABASE sales;
0 rows available after 82 ms, consumed after another 1 ms
neo4j@system> SHOW DATABASES;
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| name     | type       | aliases | access       | address          | role      | writer | requestedStatus | currentStatus | statusMessage | default | home  | constituents |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "neo4j"  | "standard" | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | TRUE    | TRUE  | []           |
| "system" | "system"   | []      | "read-write" | "localhost:7687" | "primary" | TRUE   | "online"        | "online"      | ""            | FALSE   | FALSE | []           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

2 rows available after 6 ms, consumed after another 0 ms