phpMyAdmin
Browse, query, import, and export your MySQL database securely through the Openstead dashboard.
phpMyAdmin gives you a browser interface for your managed MySQL database. It is included with MySQL Free and paid MySQL plans. Opening the manager does not create another billable application.
Open the database manager
- Sign in to the Openstead dashboard.
- Open the MySQL service and select Connections.
- Select Open phpMyAdmin.
- Allow a new tab if your browser blocks pop-ups.
The first launch prepares the manager and can take a little time. Keep the dashboard open while it checks readiness. If preparation takes longer than the displayed wait, try opening it again.
You do not need to enter a database password into a separate login form. Openstead authorises the handoff using your current browser session.
Who can open it
Owners, admins, and developers can open phpMyAdmin. A database in a protected environment requires an owner or admin. Viewers cannot open the manager.
The database must be running, any restore must be complete, and paid plan access must be valid. Your email must be verified and your account must satisfy the workspace's two-factor authentication requirement.
Browse and query
Select the application database to inspect its tables. Use Browse to review rows and SQL to execute a query, for example:
SELECT DATABASE(), VERSION();The manager uses the application's database user. It does not grant root access, access to other customers' databases, or a choice of arbitrary database servers.
SQL changes affect the live application immediately. Create a backup before deleting records, changing table structure, or importing a dump over existing tables.
Import a SQL file
Select the target database, open Import, choose the SQL file, and review the import options before starting. For a migration, use a new empty database and inspect the dump for database-selection statements, user grants, and version-specific syntax.
The manager has a 32 MiB total upload/request ceiling, including form overhead, and a 60-second execution/input time limit. A file close to 32 MiB can exceed the request ceiling. Larger imports need a deliberate migration using a client in the private environment; see Database migrations.
An interrupted SQL import can leave partially imported objects. Review the destination before retrying. MySQL schema operations do not behave like one transaction that can always be rolled back.
Export data
Use phpMyAdmin's Export feature for an interactive SQL export. Downloaded data is sensitive and should be stored securely.
A phpMyAdmin export is separate from Openstead's scheduled backups and their retention policy. Use Recovery → Create export when you want an export recorded in Openstead's managed backup history.
Session lifetime
A manager session expires after 30 minutes. An inactive manager is removed after 15 minutes without activity across its sessions. Open it again from the dashboard when you need more time.
Signing out of Openstead, revoking the original browser session, losing workspace permission, or replacing the database invalidates access. Opening the manager again from the same browser replaces that browser's previous manager session for this database.
Closing a tab is not an immediate logout. Use account-session controls when you need to revoke access. Manager expiry or removal does not delete the MySQL database.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Action |
|---|---|
| New tab did not open | Allow pop-ups from the dashboard and retry |
| Return to Openstead page | Sign in if needed and reopen the manager from Connections |
| Manager not available | Check database running state, restore completion, role, and billing access |
| Import too large or timed out | Use a smaller controlled import or a private migration client |
| Two managers already open | Close unused sessions and wait for idle cleanup before preparing another |
MySQL remains on the private network throughout. The HTTPS manager is not a public database port.