SQL Server SELECT into existing table

There are two different ways to implement inserting data from one table to another table.

For Existing Table - INSERT INTO SELECT

This method is used when the table is already created in the database earlier and the data is to be inserted into this table from another table. If columns listed in insert clause and select clause are same, they are not required to list them. It is good practice to always list them for readability and scalability purpose.

----Create testable
CREATE TABLE TestTable (FirstName VARCHAR(100), LastName VARCHAR(100))
----INSERT INTO TestTable using SELECT
INSERT INTO TestTable (FirstName, LastName)
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM Person.Contact
WHERE EmailPromotion = 2
----Verify that Data in TestTable
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM TestTable
----Clean Up Database
DROP TABLE TestTable

For Non-Existing Table - SELECT INTO

This method is used when the table is not created earlier and needs to be created when data from one table is to be inserted into the newly created table from another table. The new table is created with the same data types as selected columns.

----Create a new table and insert into table using SELECT INSERT
SELECT FirstName, LastName
INTO TestTable
FROM Person.Contact
WHERE EmailPromotion = 2
----Verify that Data in TestTable
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM TestTable
----Clean Up Database
DROP TABLE TestTable

Ref 1 2

SELECT ... INTO ... only works if the table specified in the INTO clause does not exist - otherwise, you have to use:

INSERT INTO dbo.TABLETWO
SELECT col1, col2
  FROM dbo.TABLEONE
 WHERE col3 LIKE @search_key

This assumes there's only two columns in dbo.TABLETWO - you need to specify the columns otherwise:

INSERT INTO dbo.TABLETWO
  (col1, col2)
SELECT col1, col2
  FROM dbo.TABLEONE
 WHERE col3 LIKE @search_key