#1273 - Unknown collation: "utf8mb4_unicode_ci" cPanel

📝💻 Solving Unknown Collation Error: 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci' in cPanel

So you're trying to transfer your WordPress database from your local machine to a hosted phpMyAdmin on cPanel, and you keep encountering this pesky error message: #1273 - Unknown collation: 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci'. 😫

Don't worry, you're not alone! This error can be a real pain, but fear not, as I'm here to guide you through the process of resolving this issue step by step. Let's get started! 🚀

Understanding the Issue

The error message suggests that the collation "utf8mb4_unicode_ci" is not recognized or available in the phpMyAdmin environment. Collation refers to the way data is sorted and compared in a database, and "utf8mb4_unicode_ci" specifically deals with character encoding for multibyte UTF-8 Unicode strings.

The Solution

Here's a simple solution to overcome this error and successfully import your database:

1. 🛠️ Access phpMyAdmin on cPanel: Log in to your cPanel account and navigate to the "Databases" section. Click on the "phpMyAdmin" icon to access your database.

2. 📂 Export the WordPress Database: In phpMyAdmin, select your WordPress database from the left-hand sidebar. Then, click on the "Export" tab in the top navigation menu. Leave the default settings as they are and click on the "Go" button to download the .sql file of your database to your local machine.

3. ✏️ Modify the .sql file: Open the downloaded .sql file using a text editor like Notepad or Sublime Text. We need to perform a simple find-and-replace action to change the collation.

   • Find: utf8mb4_unicode_ci

   • Replace: utf8_general_ci

   Make sure you do this replacement throughout the entire file. This change will allow the database to use a collation that is compatible with cPanel's phpMyAdmin.

4. 🔄 Import the Updated Database: Now, head back to phpMyAdmin on cPanel. Select your WordPress database and click on the "Import" tab in the top navigation menu. Choose the modified .sql file and click on the "Go" button to import the updated database.

5. 💥 Success! With the modified collation, the import process should now complete successfully without encountering the "Unknown collation" error. You can now enjoy using your WordPress database on cPanel's phpMyAdmin. 🎉

📢 Share Your Success Story!

I hope this guide helped you overcome the "Unknown collation: 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci'" error and successfully import your WordPress database on cPanel. If you found this solution helpful, don't forget to share your success story in the comments below! 👇

If you have any other questions or issues, feel free to ask, and I'll be more than happy to assist you. Happy database importing! 😉