string_data_right_truncation (SQLSTATE 22001) appears when a value longer than the defined column length is inserted or updated.
string_data_right_truncation occurs in PostgreSQL when your data is longer than the target column’s length. Trim or expand the column, then retry the statement to resolve the error.
string_data_right_truncation
PostgreSQL raises string_data_right_truncation (SQLSTATE 22001) when an INSERT, UPDATE, or COPY statement supplies a string that exceeds the defined length of a CHAR, VARCHAR, or TEXT column with a CHECK length constraint.
The server cancels the statement to prevent silent cutting of characters. The problem must be fixed in the client SQL or the schema before the transaction can succeed.
Column length limits are the primary trigger.
A VARCHAR(50) column cannot accept a 60-character string, so PostgreSQL throws the error immediately.
Implicit casts can also cause it. Assigning a long TEXT literal to a shorter VARCHAR variable inside PL/pgSQL has the same effect.
CHECK constraints that call length() can replicate this error because they manually enforce a length cap.
First, identify the offending column by reading the DETAIL line in psql or the server log.
Then choose one of two routes: shorten the data or enlarge the column.
To shorten, TRIM, SUBSTRING, or LEFT() the value in your DML. To enlarge, run ALTER TABLE ... ALTER COLUMN ... TYPE VARCHAR(new_length) or TEXT.
User-entered free-form comments often overflow VARCHAR(255). Move the column to TEXT or cut the input in the application layer.
ETL loads from CSV files may have rogue long strings.
Add a preprocessing step that truncates columns or set the column to TEXT before the COPY.
Define realistic length limits based on actual profiling, not guesses.
Oversized data is less disruptive than application crashes.
Add CHECK (char_length(col) <= limit) only when business logic demands it, and test edge-case inputs with unit tests or Galaxy’s shared queries.
ERROR: value too long for type character varying - the same root cause, reported with the specific column type.
ERROR: character not in repertoire - thrown when encoding fails, sometimes alongside truncation when multibyte characters are miscounted.
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No. PostgreSQL aborts the statement before writing anything, so existing rows stay intact.
No. PostgreSQL never silently truncates right-side characters. You must fix the data or the schema.
TEXT removes length limits but you may still hit disk or application constraints. Use TEXT when you genuinely need unbounded strings.
Galaxy’s AI copilot flags length mismatches during query drafting and its shared editor lets teams review schema changes, preventing runtime errors.
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