---
title: "2: Creating records | SurrealDB University"
description: "Follow along with interactive SurrealDB lessons featuring hands-on exercises, code examples, and step-by-step instructions."
url: https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-02
---

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Course chapters

[Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour) [1: Connecting to a database](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-01) [2: Creating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-02) [3: Using the ONLY keyword](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-03) [4: Non-ASCII record IDs](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-04) [5: Parentheses, indexing, and accessing fields](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-05) [6: Deleting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-06) [7: Field order in objects](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-07) [8: Tips when selecting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-08) [9: Casting and aliases](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-09) [10: Affixes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-10) [11: Updating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-11) [12: Linking records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-12) [13: Viewing the database as a whole](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-13) [14: Schemafull and schemaless](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-14) [15: Viewing the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-15) [16: Literal types and assertions](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-16) [17: INSERT and using JSON](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-17) [18: FOR loops](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-18) [19: Basic graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-19) [20: Creating graph edges](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-20) [21: Querying graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-21) [22: Graph relations at greater depth](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-22) [23: Adding and improving data](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-23) [24: Defining events](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-24) [25: Defining indexes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-25) [26: Improving the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-26) [27: Visualising graph paths](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-27) [28: Recursive queries: setup](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28) [29: Recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29) [30: More on recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-30) [31: AI vector search](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-31) [Done the tour!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-32)

# 2: Creating records

To create a library, we are going to need a record for it. A [`CREATE`](https://surrealdb.com/docs/reference/query-language/statements/create) statement followed by a table name is all that we need to create a record.

```
CREATE library;
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

But since our town is going to have all sorts of places, let's choose a more general table name: `place`. We can use the `SET` keyword to give this record a field called `place_type` so that we know a bit more about it.

```
CREATE place SET place_type = "library";
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Response

```surql
[
  {
    id: place:dg96emq8s3rkaxpdrfq9,
    place_type: 'library'
  }
]
```

Since we didn't give this `place` record an ID, SurrealDB will create a random one. [Record IDs](https://surrealdb.com/docs/reference/query-language/language-primitives/data-types/record-ids) are composed of the table name, a `:` after the table name, and something else. If you don't choose an exact record ID, a random [GUID](https://surrealdb.com/docs/reference/query-language/functions/database-functions/rand#randuuid) (a Globally Unique Identifier) will be added after the `:` which gives an output like `place:wrwfldojvfcyl9gbe5v3`.

But you can choose your own record ID instead, like `place:1` or `place:my_library`. Just make sure it hasn't already been used, because you can't create two records with the same ID.

```
-- Works fine CREATE place:my_library;-- Error: already existsCREATE place:my_library;
```

![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query

Response

```surql
-------- Query --------

[
  {
    id: place:my_library
  }
]

-------- Query --------

'Database record `place:my_library`
already exists'
```

Previous

1: Connecting to a database

[Previous](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-01)

Next lesson

3: Using the ONLY keyword

[Next lesson](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-03)

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