'\" t
.\"     Title: EXECUTE
.\"    Author: The PostgreSQL Global Development Group
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets vsnapshot <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 2026
.\"    Manual: PostgreSQL 15.18 Documentation
.\"    Source: PostgreSQL 15.18
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "EXECUTE" "7" "2026" "PostgreSQL 15.18" "PostgreSQL 15.18 Documentation"
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.SH "NAME"
EXECUTE \- execute a prepared statement
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.sp
.nf
EXECUTE \fIname\fR [ ( \fIparameter\fR [, \&.\&.\&.] ) ]
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
\fBEXECUTE\fR
is used to execute a previously prepared statement\&. Since prepared statements only exist for the duration of a session, the prepared statement must have been created by a
\fBPREPARE\fR
statement executed earlier in the current session\&.
.PP
If the
\fBPREPARE\fR
statement that created the statement specified some parameters, a compatible set of parameters must be passed to the
\fBEXECUTE\fR
statement, or else an error is raised\&. Note that (unlike functions) prepared statements are not overloaded based on the type or number of their parameters; the name of a prepared statement must be unique within a database session\&.
.PP
For more information on the creation and usage of prepared statements, see
\fBPREPARE\fR(7)\&.
.SH "PARAMETERS"
.PP
\fIname\fR
.RS 4
The name of the prepared statement to execute\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIparameter\fR
.RS 4
The actual value of a parameter to the prepared statement\&. This must be an expression yielding a value that is compatible with the data type of this parameter, as was determined when the prepared statement was created\&.
.RE
.SH "OUTPUTS"
.PP
The command tag returned by
\fBEXECUTE\fR
is that of the prepared statement, and not
EXECUTE\&.
.SH "EXAMPLES"
.PP
Examples are given in
Examples
in the
\fBPREPARE\fR(7)
documentation\&.
.SH "COMPATIBILITY"
.PP
The SQL standard includes an
\fBEXECUTE\fR
statement, but it is only for use in embedded SQL\&. This version of the
\fBEXECUTE\fR
statement also uses a somewhat different syntax\&.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
\fBDEALLOCATE\fR(7), \fBPREPARE\fR(7)