<p>The error is raised when the first character of FIELDS TERMINATED BY conflicts with an optional or empty FIELDS ENCLOSED BY clause, creating ambiguous field boundaries during LOAD DATA or SELECT ... INTO OUTFILE.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1475 ER_AMBIGUOUS_FIELD_TERM appears when the first character of FIELDS TERMINATED BY makes field boundaries unclear because FIELDS ENCLOSED BY is empty or optional. Set a non optional single-character FIELDS ENCLOSED BY value to clear the ambiguity and load the file successfully.</p>
First character of the FIELDS TERMINATED string is
MySQL throws error 1475 with condition name ER_AMBIGUOUS_FIELD_TERM when it cannot decide where one field ends and the next begins while parsing a text file in LOAD DATA INFILE or producing one with SELECT ... INTO OUTFILE.
The ambiguity happens when the first character of the FIELDS TERMINATED BY string is the same as, or conflicts with, an empty or optional FIELDS ENCLOSED BY value. Without a clear enclosing character, MySQL cannot distinguish between real terminators and data that merely looks like them.
The error surfaces as soon as the server starts reading the first line of the file and detects an ambiguous terminator. It halts the import or export process immediately, protecting data integrity by preventing partial or mis-aligned loads.
Most commonly, the error affects CSV-style files where developers forget to set FIELDS ENCLOSED BY '"' after choosing a comma terminator, or they mark the enclosure as OPTIONAL, which again leaves MySQL unsure whether the quote character is part of the data or a delimiter.
Leaving the issue unresolved blocks data ingestion pipelines, breaks ETL jobs, and delays downstream analytics. Repeated failures can also clutter logs and trigger monitoring alerts. Fixing it ensures smooth, automated data flows and prevents manual cleanup.
Galaxy’s SQL editor highlights LOAD DATA options in distinct colors, helping you spot missing ENCLOSED BY clauses instantly. The AI copilot suggests the correct syntax based on the file preview so you avoid ER_AMBIGUOUS_FIELD_TERM before running the import.
Omitting the ENCLOSED BY option leaves MySQL with only the terminator to identify field ends, creating ambiguity when data contains that terminator.
Using OPTIONAL tells MySQL that some values may lack enclosure, reviving the same ambiguity whenever quotes are absent in the file.
Choosing a multi-character terminator like "||" and pairing it with no enclosure makes it impossible for MySQL to spot partial overlaps safely.
Exporting data with one tool and importing with different FIELDS clauses can cause the first character of the terminator to collide with enclosure logic.
Raised when lines contain a terminator where MySQL expected an enclosure; fixing ENCLOSED BY also resolves this.
Occurs when a field starts with the enclosure character but does not end with it, usually due to malformed data.
Triggered by invalid or non-UTF8 bytes while reading input files.
Import may succeed at parsing but later fail with duplicate key issues, unrelated to field ambiguity yet common in the same workflow.
MySQL points to the first character of FIELDS TERMINATED BY; check whether that character also appears in data without quotes.
No. The parser must know clear field boundaries; disabling strict modes will not override ER_AMBIGUOUS_FIELD_TERM.
Yes, when you guarantee every instance of the terminator is inside quotes. In mixed files, avoid OPTIONAL to stay safe.
Galaxy’s copilot suggests the correct ENCLOSED BY based on file review, but you still approve and run the final statement.
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