<p>The error appears when a column that is neither aggregated nor listed in the GROUP BY clause is referenced in SELECT, HAVING, or ORDER BY.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1463 ER_NON_GROUPING_FIELD_USED signals that a non-aggregated column not present in GROUP BY is used elsewhere. Add the column to GROUP BY or wrap it in an aggregate to resolve the issue quickly.</p>
Non-grouping field '%s' is used in %s clause
The error text "Non-grouping field '%s' is used in %s clause" means MySQL found a column in SELECT, HAVING, or ORDER BY that is not part of the GROUP BY list and is not within an aggregate function.
MySQL enforces this rule when the ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY SQL mode is enabled, which is the default in modern versions. The check prevents ambiguous query results.
The most common trigger is selecting raw columns while also using GROUP BY on different columns. MySQL cannot determine which value to return for the ungrouped column.
Another cause is referencing an alias or expression built from non-grouped columns in HAVING or ORDER BY, leading MySQL to raise the same error.
Add every non-aggregated column that appears in SELECT, HAVING, or ORDER BY to the GROUP BY clause so each row is uniquely defined.
Alternatively, wrap the column in an aggregate function such as MIN(), MAX(), or ANY_VALUE() to show MySQL how to collapse multiple rows into one.
Reporting queries that group by date but display raw customer names fail unless the name column is aggregated or grouped. Adding customer_name to GROUP BY or using MIN(customer_name) fixes the query.
Sorting grouped results by an ungrouped column triggers the error in ORDER BY. Include the column in GROUP BY or sort by an aggregate instead.
Always list every selected column that is not inside an aggregate in the GROUP BY clause. This habit eliminates ambiguity.
Keep ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY enabled in development to catch problems early, and test complex reports in a strict environment like Galaxy’s SQL editor before deploying.
Error 1055 (ER_WRONG_GROUP_FIELD) occurs under similar conditions in older MySQL versions. The troubleshooting steps are identical: add missing columns to GROUP BY or aggregate them.
Selecting a raw column that is not listed in GROUP BY immediately triggers the error when ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY is active.
Placing a non-aggregated column in HAVING without grouping it forces MySQL to reject the query for the same reason.
Using ORDER BY on a column that is not part of GROUP BY or an aggregate produces the error, especially on MySQL 5.7+.
Raised in older MySQL versions before 5.7 for the same non-grouping issue.
Appears when a mix of aggregated and non-aggregated columns is used without GROUP BY.
Occurs when a subquery returns multiple columns where only one is expected, sometimes seen when fixing grouping errors.
Yes, but it is discouraged. Disabling the mode hides data ambiguities and can produce unreliable results. Fix the query instead.
ANY_VALUE() returns an arbitrary row value. Use it only when the chosen value does not affect business logic, such as retrieving a sample description.
MySQL 5.6 and earlier raise Error 1055 for the same condition. The resolution steps are identical.
Galaxy marks non-grouped fields in real time and suggests GROUP BY or aggregate fixes, reducing debugging time.
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