Title: WordPress database error: [Unknown character set: 'utf8mb4']
Last modified: August 30, 2016

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# WordPress database error: [Unknown character set: 'utf8mb4']

 *  [runamuck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/runamuck/)
 * (@runamuck)
 * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-database-error-unknown-character-set-utf8mb4/)
 * I am trying to import a SMF forum from an “old” site to bbpress on a “new” site.
   I did it once before with no problems, but trying it again and am encountering
   this error message:
 * WordPress database error: [Unknown character set: ‘utf8mb4’]
    SELECT convert(
   members.id_member USING “utf8mb4”) AS id_member,convert(members.passwd USING “
   utf8mb4”) AS passwd,convert(members.member_name USING “utf8mb4”) AS member_name,
   convert(members.email_address USING “utf8mb4”) AS email_address,convert(members.
   website_url USING “utf8mb4”) AS website_url,convert(members.date_registered USING“
   utf8mb4”) AS date_registered,convert(members.real_name USING “utf8mb4”) AS real_name,
   convert(members.aim USING “utf8mb4”) AS aim,convert(members.yim USING “utf8mb4”)
   AS yim,convert(members.icq USING “utf8mb4”) AS icq,convert(members.msn USING “
   utf8mb4”) AS msn,convert(members.signature USING “utf8mb4”) AS signature,convert(
   members.avatar USING “utf8mb4”) AS avatar,convert(members.location USING “utf8mb4”)
   AS location,convert(members.personal_text USING “utf8mb4”) AS personal_text FROM
   smf_members AS members LIMIT 0, 25
 * I tried contacting the hosting service (godaddy), but I can’t believe that upgrading
   MySQL is the only solution. Can anyone help or steer me in the right direction?
   TIA.

The topic ‘WordPress database error: [Unknown character set: 'utf8mb4']’ is closed
to new replies.

## Tags

 * [character set](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/character-set/)
 * [MySQL](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/mysql/)
 * [utf8mb4](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/utf8mb4/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 0 replies
 * 1 participant
 * Last reply from: [runamuck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/runamuck/)
 * Last activity: [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-database-error-unknown-character-set-utf8mb4/)
 * Status: not resolved

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