---
name: "execute"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql"
version: "7.4.7-6sarge6"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/execute"
---

# execute(7)

execute a prepared statement

## NAME

EXECUTE - execute a prepared statement

## SYNOPSIS

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

```

## 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 \[[**prepare**(7)](/prepare/7.md)\].

## PARAMETERS

- *plan\_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 of a type compatible with the data type specified for this parameter position in the **PREPARE** command that created the prepared statement.

## 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.