<p>The error appears when MySQL detects that two tables involved in an operation do not share identical column definitions, indexes, or storage settings.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1736 ER_TABLES_DIFFERENT_METADATA signals that the tables you are trying to exchange, merge, or attach do not have exactly matching definitions. Align every column, index, and storage option, then rerun the statement to resolve the error.</p>
Tables have different definitions
Error 1736 arises when MySQL compares two tables in a DDL statement and finds mismatched metadata. The server halts the operation to protect data integrity and signals that the tables have different definitions.
The error commonly surfaces with ALTER TABLE ... EXCHANGE PARTITION, ALTER TABLE ... RENAME, or when attaching an external table to an existing partitioned table. MySQL requires bit-for-bit identical structures before proceeding.
The root cause is any discrepancy in table metadata. Differences can hide in column data types, character sets, collations, index types, auto-increment settings, partitioning clauses, storage engines, or ROW_FORMAT options.
Even two seemingly identical CREATE TABLE statements can drift apart after schema evolution, leading to hidden mismatches that trigger Error 1736 during later maintenance tasks.
Fix the error by making the two tables structurally identical. Compare the output of SHOW CREATE TABLE on each table, align every definition detail, and retry the operation.
Typical fix workflow: dump CREATE statements, diff them, issue ALTER TABLE commands to synchronize columns, indexes, default values, and table options. Once identical, the DDL action will succeed.
EXCHANGE PARTITION - Ensure the standalone table mirrors the partitioned table structure, including partitioning type and key definition.
RENAME TABLE - If renaming into a partition, drop or recreate conflicting indexes first so both tables match.
Replication Failover - When restoring backups, confirm that schemas on source and replica remain identical to avoid replication stops due to this error.
Version control all DDL scripts so every environment evolves in lockstep. Use automated schema diff tools during CI/CD to catch drifts.
Standardize table creation through vetted templates or Galaxy endorsed queries, ensuring consistent defaults like ENGINE, CHARSET, and COLLATE across environments.
Error 1503 (HY000) - Table definition differs from storage engine: arises when physical table files disagree with .frm metadata; resolve by repairing or recreating the table.
Error 1412 - Table definition differs: similar metadata mismatch detected during ALTER TABLE ... EXCHANGE PARTITION; solution mirrors Error 1736 fixes.
Different data types, order, nullability, or default values between tables.
Missing or extra indexes, or differing index types such as BTREE vs HASH.
Divergent ENGINE, ROW_FORMAT, COMPRESSION, or TABLESPACE clauses.
Partition key, method, or number of partitions do not match.
Tables use different CHARACTER SET or COLLATE settings.
Occurs when the .frm file definition does not match the storage engine's internal representation. Recreate or repair the table.
A legacy variant of metadata mismatch on EXCHANGE PARTITION. Fix by synchronizing table definitions exactly.
Appears when renaming or swapping tables leads to conflicting definitions or constraints.
MySQL swaps the partition with the standalone table at file level, so both structures must match bit for bit to keep data integrity.
Use SHOW CREATE TABLE for both tables and run a diff tool, or use mysqlpump --diff-output for automated comparison.
Yes. MySQL considers column order part of the definition. Even identical names and types in different order will trigger Error 1736.
Galaxy's versioned query library and schema diff integrations help teams detect definition drift early, reducing the chance of encountering Error 1736 in production.
.avif)
.avif){kind=logo}
