How To Import Large SQL File In PHPMyadmin

📅 Published: February 11, 2023 | 📝 Last updated: 3 days ago

Learn how to import large SQL files in phpMyAdmin without errors. Step-by-step tutorial for increasing upload size, avoiding timeouts, and using command line for faster imports in 2025.

When we work on PHP projects with MySQL databases, sometimes we need to import a large SQL file in phpMyAdmin. This usually happens when:

You are moving your project from local server (XAMPP/WAMP) to live hosting.
You are restoring a backup of your production database.
You are merging or updating a large database with new data.

But if your SQL file is very big, phpMyAdmin can show errors like:

Maximum execution time exceeded
Allowed memory size exhausted
Upload limit exceeded

In this blog, we will learn step by step how to handle and import large SQL files safely in phpMyAdmin. I will also share some real scenarios and tips to avoid problems in live projects.

Why Large SQL Files Fail to Import in phpMyAdmin

By default, phpMyAdmin runs under PHP and your server’s limitations. This means:

PHP has a maximum execution time (like 30 seconds).
There is a limit on upload file size (like 2MB or 128MB depending on hosting).
Big files can time out or break the connection.
Shared hosting often has strict restrictions.

For example, if you are moving a 300MB eCommerce database with 1 million rows of orders, the normal phpMyAdmin import button will fail. So, let’s see how to fix this problem.

Solution 1: Compress the SQL File

This is the easiest method for small to medium SQL files. A SQL file is just plain text, so compressing it can reduce the size up to 80% in many cases.

Steps:

Take your mydatabase.sql file.
Compress it using zip, gzip, or bzip2.
Go to phpMyAdmin → Import → Upload the compressed file.

phpMyAdmin supports compressed files like .zip or .gz. For example, if your 120MB SQL file becomes 25MB after compression, it will upload faster.

Note: This works only if the file is not extremely large. For 500MB+ databases, check other solutions below.

Solution 2: Increase PHP Limits

If you have access to the php.ini file (on local XAMPP/WAMP or VPS/Cloud server), you can temporarily increase PHP limits to allow larger imports.

Open your php.ini and update these values:

max_execution_time = 1800    ; 30 minutes
max_input_time = 1800        ; 30 minutes
memory_limit = 2048M         ; 2GB
upload_max_filesize = 2048M  ; 2GB
post_max_size = 2048M        ; 2GB

Then, restart your server (Apache or Nginx) and try importing again.

Tip: After completing the import, reset these values to normal for security and performance reasons.

Real Project Example: I had a Laravel project with a 650MB MySQL database containing log tables. After increasing limits in php.ini and compressing the SQL file, I was able to import it in around 15 minutes.

Solution 3: Use MySQL Command Line (Fastest Method)

When the SQL file is huge, the best way is to bypass phpMyAdmin and use the MySQL command line.

Steps:

Upload the SQL file to your server (via FTP or SCP) or keep it on your local machine if using XAMPP/WAMP.
Open terminal (Command Prompt or SSH).
Run this command:

mysql -u username -p database_name < /full/path/to/file.sql

Here:

username → MySQL username (like root)
database_name → The database where you want to import
/full/path/to/file.sql → Full path to your SQL file

It will ask for the password and start importing immediately. This is the most reliable way for databases larger than 1GB.

Solution 4: Use BigDump (for Shared Hosting)

If you are on shared hosting and cannot access the command line or change PHP settings, BigDump is a lifesaver. BigDump imports the database in small parts to avoid timeouts.

Steps to Use BigDump:

Download BigDump.
Extract bigdump.zip and edit bigdump.php file.
Update the database credentials:

<?php
$db_server   = "localhost";
$db_name     = "your_DB_name"; 
$db_username = "your_DB_user_name";
$db_password = "your_DB_password"; 
?>

Increase these limits for large imports:

$linespersession = 4500;
$max_query_lines = 4000;

Upload bigdump.php and your SQL file to the same folder on your server.
Open https://yourdomain.com/bigdump.php in the browser.
Click Import and wait for completion.

This is perfect for 200MB–2GB files on hosting where phpMyAdmin fails.

import large file in phpmyadmin

Extra Tips and Best Practices

Always take a backup of the current database before importing.
If the SQL file has many old logs or cache tables, consider cleaning them first to reduce size.
For very large projects, split the SQL file into multiple small files using tools like MySQLDumpSplitter.
When moving a live website (like WordPress, Laravel, Magento), make sure the file encoding is UTF-8 to avoid errors with special characters.
Test the import on a local server first to confirm everything works before doing it live.