# Maximum field lengths

**URL:** <http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/t/maximum-field-lengths/1767>\
**Category:** API Issues\
**Created:** [April 24, 2018, 1:31am UTC](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/t/maximum-field-lengths/1767 "2018-04-24T01:31:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dmw](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dmw](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/u/dmw)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 1:31am UTC](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/t/maximum-field-lengths/1767/1 "2018-04-24T01:31:29Z")

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Continuing the discussion from [Data Returned - Limits](http://forum.aws.chdev.org/t/data-returned-limits/428/6):

@mfairhurst Please can you post an updated list of maximum field lengths? We have just found someone with a 60-character forename, which is more than the 50-character limit suggested below. The person is at this link:

> **[Pannala Senanayake Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Janaka Krishanth WATOWITA personal...](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/fO2ADwQPR00rhEIiakNooN29L48/appointments)**
>
> Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

> [@Data Returned - Limits](http://ec2-34-244-67-204.eu-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/t/data-returned-limits/428/6):
>
> @edith_manyumwa
> 
> The data dictionary for the API is published for each endpoint within the documentation: - [Developer Hub Home](https://developer.companieshouse.gov.uk/api/docs/)
> 
> For each resource returned we provide the following: -
> 
> _ **Parameter Name:** _ The name of the field  
> _ **Type:** _ The data type  
> _ **Description:** _ A brief description   
> _ **Additional:** _ Details if its optional
> 
> We haven’t published field lengths as we are discussing if todo so and the most appropriate method. The reasoning behind being so reserved is we do not want to restrict ourselves and others with specific field lengths as changing in the future could be classed as a breaking change to the API and we want to limit breaking changes.
> 
> However to provide some information, the following details the maximum field lengths, at present, for the specific fields requested, but this may change in the future, so use for guidance, so maybe use double these values 😀 This should not be treated as official documentation as we have stated we are currently in the process of evaluating.
> 
> ```
> address" : {
> "address_line_1" : "string", 64 characters
> "address_line_2" : "string", 64 characters
> "care_of" : "string", 100 characters
> "country" : "string", 50 characters
> "locality" : "string", 50 characters
> "po_box" : "string", 10 characters
> "postal_code" : "string", 15 characters
> "premises" : "string", 50 characters
> "region" : "string" 50 characters
> 
> "name_elements" : {
> "forename" : "string", 50 characters
> "honours" : "string", 50 characters
> "other_forenames" : "string", 50 characters
> "surname" : "string", 160 characters
> "title" : "string" 50 characters
> 
> ```
> 
> Hope this is of help
> 
> Thanks
> 
> @mfairhurst

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dmw](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dmw](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/u/dmw)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 1:53am UTC](http://forum.companieshouse.gov.uk/t/maximum-field-lengths/1767/2 "2018-04-24T01:53:05Z")

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I meant 58 characters, not 60. And by the way, this person was appointed as a director on 1-Sep-2012 with that name, so it seems that your 50-character maximum field length in 2016 was wrong. You could find out the current maximum existing name by running a query, something like: SELECT MAX(LENGTH(forename) FROM people.