# SHOW DATABASES

The `SHOW DATABASES` statement lists all databases in the CockroachDB cluster.

## Synopsis

## Required privileges

The user must be granted the `SELECT` privilege to specific databases in order to list those databases in the CockroachDB cluster.

## Example

### Show databases

    > SHOW DATABASES;

      database_name
    +---------------+
      defaultdb
      movr
      postgres
      startrek
      system
    (5 rows)

Alternatively, within the built-in SQL shell, you can use the `\l` shell command to list all databases:

    > \l

      database_name
    +---------------+
      defaultdb
      movr
      postgres
      startrek
      system
    (5 rows)

### Show databases with comments

You can use `COMMENT ON` to add comments on a database.

    > COMMENT ON DATABASE movr IS 'This database holds information about users, vehicles, and rides.';

To view a database's comments:

    > SHOW DATABASES WITH COMMENT;

      database_name |                              comment
    +---------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
      defaultdb     | NULL
      movr          | This database holds information about users, vehicles, and rides.
      postgres      | NULL
      startrek      | NULL
      system        | NULL
    (5 rows)

For more information, see `COMMENT ON`.

## Preloaded databases

New clusters and existing clusters upgraded to v2.1 or later will include three auto-generated databases, with the following purposes:

- The empty `defaultdb` database is used if a client does not specify a database in the connection parameters.

- The `movr` database contains data about users, vehicles, and rides for the vehicle-sharing app MovR.

- An empty database called `postgres` is provided for compatibility with Postgres client applications that require it.

- The `startrek` database contains quotes from episodes.

- The `system` database contains CockroachDB metadata and is read-only.

The `postgres` and `defaultdb` databases can be deleted if they are not needed.

## See also

- `COMMENT ON`
- `SHOW SCHEMAS`
- Information Schema
- Other SQL Statements