Title: SQL Syntax Error
Last modified: September 16, 2025

---

# SQL Syntax Error

 *  Resolved [Mike Meinz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikemeinz/)
 * (@mikemeinz)
 * [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/)
 * Seeing this SQL syntax error in the error_log occasionally. It looks like both
   an INNER JOIN and a LEFT JOIN use `wp_postmeta` without an alias.
 *     ```wp-block-code
       [12-Sep-2025 14:33:54 UTC] WordPress database error Not unique table/alias: 'wp_postmeta' for query SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT wp_posts.IDFROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta ON wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships AS trel ON (wp_posts.ID = trel.object_id) LEFT JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS ttax ON (( ttax.taxonomy = 'ml-slider' ) AND trel.term_taxonomy_id = ttax.term_taxonomy_id) LEFT JOIN wp_terms AS tter ON (ttax.term_id = tter.term_id)WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_type = 'attachment' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'inherit' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'private') AND ( (wp_posts.ID LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_title LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.guid LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_content LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_excerpt LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attachment_image_alt' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attached_file' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.slug LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (ttax.description LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.name LIKE '%transfer station%') )GROUP BY wp_posts.IDORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESCLIMIT 0, 100 made by require_once('wp-admin/admin-header.php'), do_action('admin_enqueue_scripts'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Controllers\FutureLegacyAction->enqueueScriptsLegacyAction, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithLegacyTriggerAsOptions, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithMetadataAsOptions, WP_Query->__construct, WP_Query->query, WP_Query->get_posts[12-Sep-2025 14:34:05 UTC] WordPress database error Not unique table/alias: 'wp_postmeta' for query SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT wp_posts.IDFROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta ON wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships AS trel ON (wp_posts.ID = trel.object_id) LEFT JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS ttax ON (( ttax.taxonomy = 'ml-slider' ) AND trel.term_taxonomy_id = ttax.term_taxonomy_id) LEFT JOIN wp_terms AS tter ON (ttax.term_id = tter.term_id)WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_type = 'attachment' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'inherit' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'private') AND ( (wp_posts.ID LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_title LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.guid LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_content LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_excerpt LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attachment_image_alt' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attached_file' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.slug LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (ttax.description LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.name LIKE '%transfer station%') )GROUP BY wp_posts.IDORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESCLIMIT 0, 100 made by require_once('wp-admin/admin-header.php'), do_action('admin_enqueue_scripts'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Controllers\FutureLegacyAction->enqueueScriptsLegacyAction, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithLegacyTriggerAsOptions, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithMetadataAsOptions, WP_Query->__construct, WP_Query->query, WP_Query->get_posts[12-Sep-2025 14:34:11 UTC] WordPress database error Not unique table/alias: 'wp_postmeta' for query SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT wp_posts.IDFROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta ON wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships AS trel ON (wp_posts.ID = trel.object_id) LEFT JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS ttax ON (( ttax.taxonomy = 'ml-slider' ) AND trel.term_taxonomy_id = ttax.term_taxonomy_id) LEFT JOIN wp_terms AS tter ON (ttax.term_id = tter.term_id)WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_type = 'attachment' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'inherit' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'private') AND ( (wp_posts.ID LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_title LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.guid LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_content LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_excerpt LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attachment_image_alt' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attached_file' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.slug LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (ttax.description LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.name LIKE '%transfer station%') )GROUP BY wp_posts.IDORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESCLIMIT 0, 100 made by require_once('wp-admin/admin-header.php'), do_action('admin_enqueue_scripts'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Controllers\FutureLegacyAction->enqueueScriptsLegacyAction, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithLegacyTriggerAsOptions, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithMetadataAsOptions, WP_Query->__construct, WP_Query->query, WP_Query->get_posts[12-Sep-2025 14:34:26 UTC] WordPress database error Not unique table/alias: 'wp_postmeta' for query SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT wp_posts.IDFROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) LEFT JOIN wp_postmeta ON wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships AS trel ON (wp_posts.ID = trel.object_id) LEFT JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS ttax ON (( ttax.taxonomy = 'ml-slider' ) AND trel.term_taxonomy_id = ttax.term_taxonomy_id) LEFT JOIN wp_terms AS tter ON (ttax.term_id = tter.term_id)WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_type = 'attachment' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'inherit' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'private') AND ( (wp_posts.ID LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_title LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.guid LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_content LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_posts.post_excerpt LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attachment_image_alt' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (wp_postmeta.meta_key = '_wp_attached_file' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.slug LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (ttax.description LIKE '%transfer station%') OR (tter.name LIKE '%transfer station%') )GROUP BY wp_posts.IDORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESCLIMIT 0, 100 made by require_once('wp-admin/admin-header.php'), do_action('admin_enqueue_scripts'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Controllers\FutureLegacyAction->enqueueScriptsLegacyAction, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithLegacyTriggerAsOptions, PublishPress\Future\Modules\Workflows\Models\WorkflowsModel->getPublishedWorkflowsWithMetadataAsOptions, WP_Query->__construct, WP_Query->query, WP_Query->get_posts
       ```
   

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Plugin Author [andergmartins](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andergmartins/)
 * (@andergmartins)
 * [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/#post-18648580)
 * Hi [@mikemeinz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikemeinz/) thank you for
   getting in touch.
 * Please, could you let us know the list of plugins you have installed on your 
   site? It seems like this is due to a conflict with a 3rd party plugin. I see 
   Metaslider is probably installed, but I don’t think that is the plugin causing
   the conflict.
 *  Thread Starter [Mike Meinz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikemeinz/)
 * (@mikemeinz)
 * [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/#post-18648601)
 *     ```wp-block-code
       Plugins:Admin Safety GuardAdvanced Custom Fields PROAttachmentsAuto iFrameBroken Link Checker (Local)Classic EditorClassic WidgetsContact Form 7Contact Form 7 AppsDisable Emojis (GDPR friendly)Disable REST APIDisable XML-RPCEnhanced Text WidgetList category postsMax Mega MenuMedia Search EnhancedMetaSliderMetaSlider ProMy Calendar - Accessible Event ManagerPassword Protection ExpirationPublishPress FutureRelevanssiWP Activity LogYoast SEO
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [Mike Meinz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikemeinz/)
 * (@mikemeinz)
 * [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/#post-18649570)
 * I just checked the wp-admin error_log. Today is 09/20. The reported SQL syntax
   errors were logged on 09/12. I thought you should be aware that SQL syntax error
   has not been repeated at this time.
 *  Plugin Author [Steve Burge](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevejburge/)
 * (@stevejburge)
 * [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/#post-18651890)
 * OK, thanks [@mikemeinz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikemeinz/). We’ve
   not had any luck re-creating this error either.
 * Let’s come back to this issue if either of us find out more details.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘SQL Syntax Error’ is closed to new replies.

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## Tags

 * [sql](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/sql/)

 * 4 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Steve Burge](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevejburge/)
 * Last activity: [7 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sql-syntax-error-25/#post-18651890)
 * Status: resolved