Large database imports often fail in phpMyAdmin because the browser upload, PHP execution time, or memory limits are lower than the size of the backup being restored.
Common symptoms
- The browser returns to the import page without completing
- You see timeout, memory, or upload errors
- Only small SQL files import successfully
Troubleshooting steps
- Compress the SQL dump and test whether the compressed format imports more reliably.
- If SSH access is available, use command-line import tools for large databases instead of browser-based import.
- Split very large SQL files into smaller parts when command-line access is not available.
- Ensure the target database is empty or in the expected state before retrying to avoid partial duplicate imports.
- After import, verify table counts and application functionality before considering the restore complete.
Additional notes
- Browser-based imports are convenient but not ideal for large production restores.
- An interrupted import can leave partial tables that must be cleaned before retrying.
When to contact support
Contact support if the file is moderate in size but imports still fail repeatedly.