SQL> CREATE TABLE myTable 2 (id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY 3 ,doc XMLType NOT NULL) 4 XMLTYPE doc STORE AS CLOB 5 / Table created. SQL> SQL> select COUNT(*) from myTable 2 where existsnode(doc, '/message/greeting') = 1 3 / COUNT(*) ---------- 0 1 row selected. SQL> drop table myTable; Table dropped.