How to Fix Microsoft Access Long Text Fields Truncated at 255 Characters
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where text entered into a Microsoft Access database field is being cut off at exactly 255 characters, despite needing to store more data.
- Product
- Microsoft Access
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Entering or displaying large amounts of text data in tables, forms, or queries within Microsoft Access.
- Observed behavior
- Text longer than 255 characters gets truncated. This typically happens when a field is set to Short Text or artificially limited by a query, form expression, or control property.
Before modifying your database schema, ensure you create a backup of your Access database file (.accdb) to prevent any accidental data loss while changing field data types or query structures.
Recreate the Field as Long Text and Update Forms and Queries
The most common cause is the field being set to 'Short Text' or an underlying caching issue in forms and queries. Recreating the field properly resets these limitations.
If simply changing the Data Type in the table design does not reflect in your forms or queries, you may need to completely remove and re-add the field to clear any lingering restrictions.
Open your table in Design View, select the field that is truncating your text, and delete it.
Add a new field with the same name and explicitly set its Data Type to 'Long Text' (or 'Memo' in older versions of Access). Save the table.
Open any associated forms or queries in Design View and remove the text boxes or columns that referenced the old field.
Drag and drop the newly created Long Text field back into your forms and queries from the Field List, then test to ensure the text is no longer truncated.
Inspect Query Expressions and Form Control Properties
If the table field is already set to Long Text, a query expression or a form control property might be artificially limiting the output to 255 characters.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum character limit for a Long Text field in Microsoft Access?
A Long Text field (previously known as a Memo field) in Microsoft Access can store up to 65,535 characters when entered manually through the user interface, and up to 1 gigabyte of text when updated programmatically.
Why does my Long Text field truncate when I use a 'Group By' query?
When you use a 'Group By' clause in an Access aggregate query, Access automatically truncates Long Text fields to 255 characters to process the grouping logic. To fix this, change the 'Total' setting for that specific field from 'Group By' to 'First'.
Can applying a format to a text box cause text truncation in Access?
Yes. Applying certain custom formats (such as using the '@' symbol to force text formatting) in the Format property of a form or report text box will force Access to treat the field as Short Text, resulting in the text being truncated at 255 characters.
