How can I drop the "Unique Key Constraint" on a column of a MySQL table using phpMyAdmin?
10 Answers
A unique constraint is also an index.
First use SHOW INDEX FROM tbl_name to find out the name of the index. The name of the index is stored in the column called key_name in the results of that query.
Then you can use DROP INDEX:
DROP INDEX index_name ON tbl_name
or the ALTER TABLE syntax:
ALTER TABLE tbl_name DROP INDEX index_name
If you want to remove unique constraints from MySQL database table, use alter table with drop index.
Example:
CREATE TABLE unique_constraints (
unid INT,
activity_name VARCHAR(100),
CONSTRAINT activty_uqniue UNIQUE (activity_name),
PRIMARY KEY (unid)
);
ALTER TABLE unique_constraints
DROP INDEX activty_uqniue;
Where activty_uqniue is UNIQUE constraint for activity_name column.
The constraint could be removed with syntax:
As of MySQL 8.0.19, ALTER TABLE permits more general (and SQL standard) syntax for dropping and altering existing constraints of any type, where the constraint type is determined from the constraint name:
ALTER TABLE tbl_name DROP CONSTRAINT symbol;
Example:
CREATE TABLE tab(id INT, CONSTRAINT unq_tab_id UNIQUE(id));
-- checking constraint name if autogenerated
SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'tab';
-- dropping constraint
ALTER TABLE tab DROP CONSTRAINT unq_tab_id;
This might help:
Inside your sql terminal
FIRST STEP:
SHOW INDEX FROM {YOUR_TABLE_NAME}
SECOND STEP:
SHOW INDEX FROM {YOUR_TABLE_NAME} WHERE Column_name='ACTUAL_COLUMN_NAME_YOU_GOT_FROM_FIRST_STEP_OUTPUT'
THIRD STEP:
ORIGINAL_KEY_NAME_VALUE = SECOND_STEP_RESPONSE["Key_name"]
FOURTH STEP:
ALTER TABLE {YOUR_TABLE_NAME} DROP INDEX ${ORIGINAL_KEY_NAME_VALUE}
my table name is buyers which has a unique constraint column emp_id now iam going to drop the emp_id
step 1: exec sp_helpindex buyers, see the image file
step 2: copy the index address

step3: alter table buyers drop constraint [UQ__buyers__1299A860D9793F2E] alter table buyers drop column emp_id
note:
Blockquote
instead of buyers change it to your table name :)
Blockquote
thats all column name emp_id with constraints is dropped!


