I kept using WHERE when I should have been using HAVING

📰 Medium · Data Science

Learn when to use WHERE and HAVING in SQL queries to filter data before and after grouping

beginner Published 16 Apr 2026

Action Steps

Use WHERE to filter rows before grouping data
Use HAVING to filter grouped results after applying aggregate functions like COUNT, SUM, and AVG
Apply GROUP BY to package data into groups of rows that share the same value
Practice using SELECT DISTINCT and GROUP BY to understand the difference between them
Test your understanding by writing SQL queries that use WHERE and HAVING correctly

Who Needs to Know This

Data analysts and scientists who work with SQL databases can benefit from understanding the difference between WHERE and HAVING to improve their data filtering skills

Key Insight

💡 WHERE filters rows before grouping, while HAVING filters the grouped results after

Key Takeaways

Learn when to use WHERE and HAVING in SQL queries to filter data before and after grouping

Full Article

Title: I kept using WHERE when I should have been using HAVING

URL Source: https://medium.com/@fisayosangolade/i-kept-using-where-when-i-should-have-been-using-having-5ef2b2c2ccad?source=rss------data_science-5

Published Time: 2026-04-16T14:15:03Z

Markdown Content:
# I kept using WHERE when I should have been using HAVING | by Fisayosangolade | Apr, 2026 | Medium

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# I kept using WHERE when I should have been using HAVING

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I thought **WHERE**and **HAVING**were the same thing. They both filter data, so what’s the difference?

Turns out I was missing one thing.

GROUP BY, unlike SELECT DISTINCT, packages the data into groups of rows that share the same value. Something exists inside those packages and that’s where the magic happens. Inside each group, you can now do calculations.

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Those packages are what make aggregate functions like COUNT, SUM, and AVG possible.

Something simple clicked. WHERE filters rows before grouping, while HAVING filters the grouped results after.

SELECT color, COUNT(*) AS total_sold

FROM sli

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I kept using WHERE when I should have been using HAVING

Key Takeaways

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