String Data Right Truncation — SQLSTATE 22001

SQLSTATE 22001 condition string_data_right_truncation class 22 — Data Exception severity ERROR
Reproduced & verified on PostgreSQL 14.23, 15.18, 16.14, 17.10 and 18.4 — identical message on every version.
Last reviewed 29 May 2025 · Reproduced live with the SQL on this page.

! Symptoms Free

A string value is too long for the target character column.

  • The error is written to the server log and returned to the client carrying SQLSTATE 22001.
  • Any driver (libpq, JDBC, psycopg, npgsql, pgx) surfaces this code in its error object so you can branch on it programmatically.
  • PL/pgSQL can trap it by name: EXCEPTION WHEN string_data_right_truncation THEN.

1 Environment & reproduce Free

Severity: ERROR  |  PostgreSQL versions: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Reproduce with the exact statement and read the full message in the server log (raise log_min_messages / set log_min_error_statement for more context).

? Root cause Free

The value exceeds the declared length of a varchar(n) or char(n) column or cast.

Common causes:

  • Inserting or updating text longer than the column width.
  • An explicit cast to a too-small varchar(n).
  • Multibyte characters making the string longer than expected.

3 Recovery & verify Free

Steps to resolve 22001:

  1. Widen the column: ALTER TABLE t ALTER COLUMN c TYPE varchar(NNN);, or use text for no limit.
  2. Validate or trim input length in the application before writing.
  3. If truncation is acceptable, apply it explicitly with left(value, n).

Reference: PostgreSQL error codes — Class 22 (Data Exception).