---
title: "MySQL data types between versions"
description: "Every MySQL data type an older or newer MySQL stores differently, what the converter writes for it, and the report line."
canonical: https://intosql.com/docs/types/mysql-to-mysql
last_updated: 2026-10-15
---

# MySQL data types between versions

Each row is a type from MySQL that an older or newer MySQL stores differently: what the script gets, why, and the line the report writes about it. The rows come from the converter's own rules, so this page matches what it does.

**Convert in the browser:** [MySQL to MySQL](/mysql-to-mysql) opens the converter set up for this pair. The [MySQL to MySQL migration guide](/docs/migrations/mysql-to-mysql) covers dumping, loading and the rules for keys, indexes and names.

A report line is a fix when the converter changed something and lists it, or a problem when a value or object is worth a look.

## Numbers

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| UNSIGNED and ZEROFILL | kept | The same types. | None |

## Booleans and bits

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| TINYINT(1), BOOL | TINYINT(1) | The same type with the same values. | None |

## Text

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NUL bytes in text | kept | The value is copied with the same escape the source used. | None |
| text that isn't valid in its character set | the bad bytes as the replacement character | The script is UTF-8; bytes that aren't would stop the load. | `invalid_utf8_replaced` (problem) |

## Enums and sets

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ENUM and SET, the '' error value included | kept | The same types; the script loads without strict mode, so the error value loads as it is. | None |

## Dates and times

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| zero, partial or impossible dates (0000-00-00, 2024-02-30) | kept | The script loads with ALLOW_INVALID_DATES and without NO_ZERO_DATE, so MySQL keeps the same values the source had. | None |
| TIME | TIME, durations included | The same type, with the same range. | None |
| TIMESTAMP | kept, loaded in the time zone the dump states | The script sets the same time zone the dump did, so every moment is the same. | None |

## Binary

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BINARY, VARBINARY, BLOB | kept | Bytes stay bytes. | None |

## JSON, spatial and other types

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| JSON | JSON | MySQL reads the same JSON text. | None |
| GEOMETRY, POINT, POLYGON... | kept, with each value's SRID | The server's own geometry bytes are copied, SRID included. | None |
| INET4, INET6, UUID (MariaDB) | varchar(15), varchar(39), char(36) | MySQL has no such types; the text MariaDB writes for them is kept. | `type_replaced` (fix) |
| geometries in a dump without CREATE TABLE | GEOMETRY | MySQL's geometry format is recognised from the values. | None |
| types IntoSQL doesn't know | LONGBLOB | A blob holds any value's bytes; change the type after loading. | `unknown_type` (problem) |
| values that don't fit their column | NULL | A damaged or hand-written dump can hold values its column can't; they become NULL so the rest loads. | `invalid_value_null` (problem) |
| unreadable geometries | NULL | Bytes that aren't a geometry can't be stored as one. | `bad_geometry` (problem) |
| VECTOR(n) (MariaDB 11.7+) | json with the floats as an array | MySQL 5.7 and 8.0 have no vector type; a JSON array keeps every float on every version. | `type_replaced` (fix) |

## Counters and identities

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AUTO_INCREMENT | AUTO_INCREMENT with the table's counter | The counter continues where the source left it, MyISAM's per-group counters included. | None |
| MyISAM AUTO_INCREMENT on the second column of a key, in a table that isn't MyISAM in the dump | an index on the column and one counter for the table | InnoDB counts a column only when it leads an index, and once for the whole table. | `myisam_group_autoincrement` (problem) |

## Other pairs

- MySQL into [PostgreSQL](/docs/types/mysql-to-postgresql), [MariaDB](/docs/types/mysql-to-mariadb), [SQLite](/docs/types/mysql-to-sqlite), [SQL Server](/docs/types/mysql-to-sql-server), [Oracle](/docs/types/mysql-to-oracle)
- Into MySQL from [MariaDB](/docs/types/mariadb-to-mysql), [PostgreSQL](/docs/types/postgresql-to-mysql), [SQL Server](/docs/types/sql-server-to-mysql), [SQLite](/docs/types/sqlite-to-mysql), [Oracle](/docs/types/oracle-to-mysql)
- [Every pair](/docs/types#from-one-database-to-another)