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Resolving 'Data too long for column' Errors During Duplicator Migration

12 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Duplicator

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Understanding the 'Data too long for column' Error in Duplicator

If you've encountered a Data too long for column error while using the Duplicator plugin for WordPress migration, you're not alone. This common issue typically occurs during Step 3 (Update Data) of the restoration process and can prevent successful migration.

What Causes This Error?

This error is a MySQL database constraint issue, not necessarily a bug in Duplicator itself. It happens when the plugin's search-and-replace operation attempts to insert data that exceeds the maximum length defined for a specific database column.

Based on community reports, this frequently affects columns such as:

  • referrer or referer (often in statistics or consent management tables)
  • url (particularly in SEO plugin tables like Yoast)
  • guid (in WordPress core tables)
  • subject (in various plugin tables)
  • args (in scheduler or action tables)
  • result_hash (in various plugin tables)

Why Does This Happen During Migration?

The core issue emerges because the migration process involves replacing old URLs and paths with new ones. If your new URL is significantly longer than the original (for example, when moving from a short domain to a long temporary staging URL), the replaced data might exceed the column's character limit defined in the database schema.

This problem is especially common when:

  • Migrating to a longer temporary domain or subdomain
  • Using complex URLs with special characters or encoded text (like Hebrew or other non-ASCII characters)
  • Working with tables from plugins that have strict column length limits
  • Using the Database Archive Format (DAF) instead of ZIP archives

Common Solutions to Try

1. Manual Database Adjustment (Advanced)

If you have database access, you can modify the column to accommodate longer strings:

  1. Access your database via phpMyAdmin or similar tool
  2. Locate the table and column mentioned in the error message
  3. Alter the column to allow more characters (e.g., change VARCHAR(100) to VARCHAR(255))
  4. Retry the migration process

2. Skip Problematic Tables

If the error occurs in non-essential tables (like those from deactivated plugins), you can exclude them from the migration:

  1. During the installation process, choose "Advanced Options"
  2. Navigate to the database tables section
  3. Deselect the table causing the error
  4. Complete the migration without the problematic table

3. Use ZIP Archive Instead of DAF

Several users reported that the error only occurred when using the Database Archive Format (DAF). Creating a package with both ZIP and database archive might help you identify if this is the case for your migration.

4. Check Plugin Compatibility

If the error references tables from specific plugins (like Yoast SEO), ensure you're using compatible versions on both source and destination sites, or consider temporarily disabling these plugins before migration.

When These Solutions Don't Work

For complex cases where these solutions don't resolve the issue, the problem may require detailed analysis of your specific database structure and migration logs. Since sharing such sensitive information on public forums is not recommended for security reasons, you may need to seek alternative support channels.

Remember to always backup your site before attempting any database modifications, and test migrations on a staging environment before applying them to your live site.

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