# Packet for query is too large

> Resolve the MySQL max_allowed_packet error when uploading files into Cascade CMS.

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/packet-too-large.html
category: Cascade Administration
article-type: troubleshooting
content-kind: faq
release-availability: all
tags: errors, database
updated: 2026-10-06

When uploading a file into Cascade CMS, users may see an error similar to the following message:

```bash
An error occurred during editing: Error persisting this bean to storage:
com.mysql.jdbc.PacketTooBigException: Packet for query is too large
(####### > #######). You can change this value on the server by setting
the 'max_allowed_packet' variable.
```

This error means that the file being uploaded is greater than the maximum size allowed by MySQL.

To correct this problem, modify the `max_allowed_packet` value in the *my.cnf* / *my.ini* file (located in the root directory of MySQL) and specify a larger value. For example, in the `[mysqld]` section add:

```bash
max_allowed_packet=200M
```

MySQL will require a restart after this change has been made. For more information on the `max_allowed_packet` setting, see [MySQL's official documentation](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/server-system-variables.html#sysvar_max_allowed_packet).