<p>MySQL raises error 1648 when an expression used in a WHERE, HAVING, JOIN, or CASE clause exceeds the engine’s maximum length for a condition item.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1648: ER_COND_ITEM_TOO_LONG means the string or BLOB in a condition expression is larger than the engine’s 1024-byte limit. Truncate or cast the value, or refactor the query to keep each conditional element below the size ceiling.</p>
Data too long for condition item '%s'
Error 1648 appears with the message Data too long for condition item when MySQL evaluates a conditional clause whose single item exceeds the internal 1024-byte size limit.
The server checks each term in WHERE, HAVING, ON, and CASE expressions. If any term’s evaluated length goes beyond the cap, MySQL stops the statement and returns this error to protect memory and index operations.
The problem surfaces in SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements that build very large strings on the fly, compare oversized BLOB columns, or apply long function chains such as CONCAT, REPEAT, or GROUP_CONCAT within a filter.
It also appears in generated columns and views whose definitions expand beyond the limit when used inside another query.
Unresolved, the error blocks data retrieval and DML, halting applications that depend on the affected query. Fixing it maintains uptime and guards against hidden logic errors caused by silent truncation in older server versions.
In MySQL 5.7 and later, the limit is fixed at 1024 bytes per condition item. MariaDB inherits the same threshold. No configuration variable changes this cap, so developers must adapt queries instead.
Keep condition items small, index appropriate columns, avoid unnecessary string expansion, and validate input length in application code or by using CHECK constraints.
Hard-coded string literals longer than 1024 bytes used directly in WHERE or HAVING clauses trigger the error.
Using CONCAT, REPEAT, LPAD, or GROUP_CONCAT inside a condition can create a result longer than the permitted limit.
Comparing or pattern-matching untrimmed BLOB, TEXT, or LONGTEXT columns in a filter often exceeds the threshold.
Complex views or virtual columns that expand during query execution may push the underlying expression size past 1024 bytes.
Occurs when inserted or updated column data exceeds the column’s defined length.
Raised when numeric input is outside the allowed range for the target column type.
Signals a query complexity issue rather than expression length but often surfaces in similar large-data scenarios.
No. MySQL hard-codes the size. You must shorten the expression or split the logic.
Only if it converts or truncates the data. Casting LONGTEXT to CHAR(255) will help, but CHAR without length keeps the full content.
Filtering on an indexed prefix or hash column avoids evaluating huge strings and prevents the error.
Galaxy’s SQL editor flags long literals and offers AI-powered refactors that suggest truncation or hash comparisons before you run the query, preventing the runtime error.
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