MySQL Error 1364

Error number

1364

SQLSTATE

HY000

Symbol

ER_NO_DEFAULT_FOR_FIELD

Product

MySQL Server

Versions

MySQL 5.7, 8.0 and 8.4 (an error in strict mode, a warning without it)

Category

Data Values & Strict Mode

Last reviewed

24 October 2026

What it means

Error 1364 means an INSERT left out a NOT NULL column that has no DEFAULT, so under strict mode MySQL had no value to store and rejected the row.

When an INSERT does not list a column, MySQL fills it from the column's DEFAULT. A column declared NOT NULL without a DEFAULT clause has nothing to fall back on, so in strict mode (part of MySQL 8.0's default sql_mode) the statement fails with 1364 and names the first such column. The same happens with INSERT ... VALUES () and with the DEFAULT keyword on a column that has no default. An AUTO_INCREMENT column never raises it, but a primary key without AUTO_INCREMENT does.

Without strict mode, MySQL only warns and stores the type's implicit default (an empty string, 0 or a zero date), which is why this error often appears for the first time after moving an application to a server with the default settings. Sending NULL explicitly is a different error, 1048. Inserting through a view that leaves out such a column gives error 1423 instead.

Common causes

• The INSERT lists only some columns and one of the omitted columns is NOT NULL with no DEFAULT.
• A new NOT NULL column was added to the table, but older code or an import still inserts the previous column list.
• The primary key is not AUTO_INCREMENT, so it must be supplied, but the application expects the database to generate it.
• A TEXT, BLOB or JSON column is NOT NULL, and before MySQL 8.0.13 such columns could not have a default at all.
• The application was written against a server without strict mode, where the omission produced only a warning.

Diagnose it

Read-only These statements only read metadata (information_schema, performance_schema and SHOW statements) or your own data. They do not change data, privileges or configuration, so they are safe to run first.

SELECT column_name, column_type
FROM information_schema.columns
WHERE table_schema = DATABASE()
  AND table_name = 'users'
  AND is_nullable = 'NO'
  AND column_default IS NULL
  AND extra NOT LIKE '%auto_increment%'
ORDER BY ordinal_position;

SHOW CREATE TABLE users;
SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'users';

SELECT @@SESSION.sql_mode, @@GLOBAL.sql_mode;

How to fix it

Each fix is labelled with what it changes. Try read-only checks and the least invasive fix first, and test changes outside production.

INSERT INTO users (username, password_hash)
VALUES ('sara', 'hash-from-your-password-library');

ALTER TABLE users MODIFY status VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'active';
ALTER TABLE notes MODIFY body TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ('');

ALTER TABLE tags MODIFY id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;

ALTER TABLE users MODIFY phone VARCHAR(30) NULL;

Examples

Leaving out a required column

CREATE TABLE users (
    id            INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    username      VARCHAR(50)  NOT NULL,
    password_hash VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL
);

INSERT INTO users (username) VALUES ('sara');

ERROR 1364 (HY000): Field 'password_hash' doesn't have a default value

A primary key without AUTO_INCREMENT

CREATE TABLE tags (
    id    INT PRIMARY KEY,  -- not AUTO_INCREMENT
    label VARCHAR(30)
);

INSERT INTO tags (label) VALUES ('sql');

ERROR 1364 (HY000): Field 'id' doesn't have a default value

A NOT NULL TEXT column with no default

CREATE TABLE notes (
    id   INT PRIMARY KEY,
    body TEXT NOT NULL
);

INSERT INTO notes (id) VALUES (1);

ERROR 1364 (HY000): Field 'body' doesn't have a default value

Using the DEFAULT keyword on a column that has no default

CREATE TABLE orders (
    id          INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    customer_id INT  NOT NULL,
    order_date  DATE NOT NULL
);

INSERT INTO orders (customer_id, order_date) VALUES (1, DEFAULT);

ERROR 1364 (HY000): Field 'order_date' doesn't have a default value

How to prevent it

Always name the columns in an INSERT, and when you add a NOT NULL column to an existing table, either give it a DEFAULT or update every code path that inserts into the table in the same release. Use AUTO_INCREMENT for surrogate keys you expect the database to generate.

Run development and test servers with the same sql_mode as production (strict mode, the MySQL 8.0 default) so 1364 shows up before release. Do not switch strict mode off to make it go away: the rows are then stored with empty strings or zeros and no error, and the missing data is only found much later.

Common questions

Learn more on CodeWithSQL

• SQL constraints explained
• SQL NULL values explained

Official documentation

• MySQL 8.0 server error message reference
• Data type default values
• Server SQL modes (strict mode)

Last technically reviewed 24 October 2026; examples and diagnostics run on MySQL 8.0.46. Message templates checked against the server's error catalogue (perror) for that version.