MySQL error 1149 (ER_SYNTAX_ERROR) appears when the server cannot parse your SQL statement due to invalid syntax for the current MySQL version.
MySQL Error 1149: ER_SYNTAX_ERROR signals that the server parsed an invalid SQL statement. Correct typos, clause order, or incompatible keywords, then rerun the statement to resolve the issue.
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual
Error 1149 occurs when MySQL encounters a token, keyword, or clause order it cannot parse. The server aborts execution and returns the message: “You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use.”
The error is version aware: syntax valid in MySQL 8.0 may break in 5.7.
Identifying the offending segment and matching it to the correct grammar eliminates the problem quickly.
The error surfaces during query compilation, before any data read or write occurs. It can trigger in interactive sessions, stored procedures, replication streams, or application code using MySQL connectors.
Because execution never starts, no data is modified.
Fixing the statement and re-executing is safe once the syntax is correct.
Syntax errors block new features, delay deployments, and mask deeper logic flaws. Clearing them early keeps CI pipelines green and prevents application downtime.
Most cases stem from misspelled keywords, misplaced commas, missing parentheses, or improper clause order. Version mismatches and reserved-word collisions also rank high.
Full list appears below.
Start by isolating the failing line. Read the error pointer, then cross-reference the statement with MySQL’s grammar. Correct or remove illegal tokens, ensure proper quoting, and rerun. Step-by-step examples follow in the Fixes section.
Developers often forget GROUP BY columns, place LIMIT before ORDER BY, or omit an alias in JOINs.
Each scenario has a direct remedy in the next section.
Enable strict SQL_MODE, lint code in CI, and validate statements in a modern SQL IDE like Galaxy. Galaxy’s syntax checker highlights invalid tokens immediately and its AI copilot can auto-rewrite malformed queries.
Error 1064 shares the same root cause but returns a slightly different message.
Errors 1054 (unknown column) and 1066 (not unique table/alias) often appear alongside syntax mistakes and are documented below.
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No. The query fails before execution, so no data is read or written.
Look for the caret (^) pointer in the error output or use Galaxy’s inline linting to highlight the offending token.
Yes. Syntax valid in MySQL 8.0 may fail in 5.7. Check your server version before using new keywords.
Galaxy’s AI copilot suggests corrections and can rewrite malformed statements, reducing manual debugging time.
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