---
title: "EXECUTE"
id: sql-execute
pg_version: "20devel"
---

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# EXECUTE — execute a prepared statement

## Synopsis

```
EXECUTE name [ ( parameter [, ...] ) ]
```

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## Description

`EXECUTE` 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 `PREPARE` statement executed earlier in the current session. 

If the `PREPARE` statement that created the statement specified some parameters, a compatible set of parameters must be passed to the `EXECUTE` 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. 

For more information on the creation and usage of prepared statements, see [PREPARE](sql-prepare.md). 

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## Parameters

**`name`**

 The name of the prepared statement to execute. **`parameter`**

 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. <a id="id-1.9.3.150.8"></a>

## Outputs

The command tag returned by `EXECUTE` is that of the prepared statement, and not `EXECUTE`. 

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## Examples

Examples are given in [the section called “Examples”](sql-prepare.md#sql-prepare-examples) in the [PREPARE](sql-prepare.md) documentation. 

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## Compatibility

The SQL standard includes an `EXECUTE` statement, but it is only for use in embedded SQL. This version of the `EXECUTE` statement also uses a somewhat different syntax. 

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## See Also

[DEALLOCATE](sql-deallocate.md), [PREPARE](sql-prepare.md)