Supabase database errorSupabase: “value too long for type character varying(n)” (22001)

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Why the value is too long, and the fix

1. 01

   The column has a small limit

   “An attempt to store a longer string into a column of these types will result in an error” PostgreSQL docs, Character types

   Schemas copied from MySQL habits or generated by tools often use varchar(255) for everything. Long names, URLs, notes and tokens don’t fit.

2. 02

   Find the column

   The error gives the limit but not always the column. List the columns with that limit on the table.

   select column_name, character_maximum_length
   from information_schema.columns
   where table_schema = 'public' and table_name = 'profiles'
     and character_maximum_length is not null;

3. 03

   Change it to text

   “There is no performance difference among these three types, apart from increased storage space when using the blank-padded type, and a few extra CPU cycles” PostgreSQL docs, Character types

   text has no limit and, in Postgres, runs no slower than varchar. Change the column in a migration, or raise the limit with type varchar(500) if the number matters. If a view or policy uses the column, the alter fails until you drop and recreate it, and a new length check fails if old rows are already longer.

   alter table public.profiles
     alter column bio type text;
   
   -- keep a cap if you need one
   alter table public.profiles
     add constraint profiles_bio_length check (char_length(bio) <= 2000);

4. 04

   The limit counts characters, not bytes

   “Both of these types can store strings up to n characters (not bytes) in length.” PostgreSQL docs, Character types

   Most emoji and accented letters count as one character, so the limit isn’t a byte count. In JavaScript, str.length counts some emoji as 2, so check [...str].length before you save.

Checked against the vendor’s docs on November 9, 2026: PostgreSQL docs: Character types.

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