docs: add MySQL 8.4 migration guide for customers

src/source/content/guides/mariadb-mysql/11-mysql-84.md

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+---
+title: MariaDB and MySQL on Pantheon
+subtitle: MySQL 8.4
+description: Learn how to migrate from MariaDB to MySQL 8.4 on Pantheon.
+contenttype: [guide]
+innav: [false]
+categories: [database]
+cms: [--]
+audience: [development]
+product: [--]
+integration: [--]
+tags: [database]
+showtoc: true
+permalink: docs/guides/mariadb-mysql/mysql-84
+reviewed: "2026-07-13"
+---
+
+Pantheon supports MySQL 8.4 LTS as a database engine alongside MariaDB. MySQL 8.4 offers long-term support from Oracle through 2032.
+
+## Before You Begin
+### Considerations
+Before enabling MySQL 8.4, consider the following limitations:
+
+- **No self-service rollback.** Reverting from MySQL 8.4 to MariaDB requires Pantheon support. Always test on a [Multidev](/guides/multidev) or Dev environment before switching your Live environment.
+- **Backups are engine-specific.** A backup taken on MySQL 8.4 cannot be restored to a MariaDB environment, and vice versa.
+- **MariaDB 10.6 required.** Your site must be on MariaDB 10.6 before migrating to MySQL 8.4. Sites on older MariaDB versions will be upgraded to 10.6 first automatically.
+
+### CMS Version Compatibility
+Before enabling MySQL 8.4, verify the following:
+
+| CMS | Minimum Version | Notes |
+|-----|----------------|-------|
+| WordPress 6.x | All versions | Fully compatible |
+| WordPress 5.x | 5.9+ | Older versions may hit reserved word or sql_mode issues |
+| Drupal 10 | 10.2+ | Earlier versions may need patches for the `GROUPS` reserved word |
+| Drupal 9 | 9.5+ | Community support ended |
+| Drupal 7 | 7.x | Works with caveats. See [ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY](#only_full_group_by-errors) below |
+
+### Reserved Word Conflicts
+
+MySQL 8.4 added several reserved words. If your database uses any of these as table or column names, queries will fail unless the names are quoted with backticks:
+
+- `GROUPS` (common in Drupal sites using the Groups module)
+- `RANK`, `DENSE_RANK`, `ROW_NUMBER`
+- `JSON_TABLE`, `LATERAL`, `RECURSIVE`
+
+```sql
+-- This breaks on MySQL 8.4 if "groups" is a table name
+SELECT * FROM groups;
+
+-- This works on both MariaDB and MySQL 8.4
+SELECT * FROM `groups`;
+```
+
+## What To Expect
+### Migration Timing
+
+| Database Size | Estimated Total Time |
+|--------------|---------------------|
+| Under 500 MB | 3-5 minutes |
+| 500 MB - 2 GB | 5-10 minutes |
+| 2 - 10 GB | 10-20 minutes |
+| 10 - 30 GB | 20-60 minutes |
+| 30 - 100 GB | 1-3 hours |
+
+### During migration
+
+1. A new MySQL 8.4 database is provisioned for your environment.
+2. Your existing MariaDB data is exported and imported into the new MySQL 8.4 database.
+3. The platform verifies the data transferred correctly.
+4. The new MySQL 8.4 database is promoted as your active database.
+
+Your site's database is **read-only during the export** and **briefly unavailable during the switchover**.
+
+### What changes after migration
+
+- `SELECT VERSION()` returns `8.4.x` instead of a MariaDB version string.
+- The default collation for new tables is `utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci`. Migrated tables keep their original collation (`utf8mb4_general_ci`).
+- Stricter SQL mode enforcement is enabled by default.
+
+### What stays the same after migration
+
+- Connection credentials (host, port, username, password).
+- Database name (`pantheon`).
+- All your data, tables, and indexes.
+- Backup and restore workflows (within the same engine).
+
+
+## How to enable MySQL 8.4
+
+Add the following to your site's `pantheon.yml` file:
+
+```yaml:title=pantheon.yml
+database:
+  type: mysql
+  version: 8.4
+```
+
+Commit and push this change. On the next deployment, your environment's database will be migrated from MariaDB to MySQL 8.4.
+
+<Alert title="Warning" type="danger">
+
+Test on a [Multidev](/guides/multidev) environment before applying to Dev, Test, or Live. Reverting from MySQL 8.4 to MariaDB requires Pantheon support intervention.
+
+</Alert>
+
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY Errors
+
+MySQL 8.4 enables `ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY` in sql_mode by default. Queries that SELECT columns not listed in the GROUP BY clause will fail:
+
+```
+ERROR 1055: Expression #1 of SELECT list is not in GROUP BY clause
+```
+
+**Fix:** Add the missing columns to your GROUP BY clause, or wrap them in `ANY_VALUE()`:
+
+```sql
+-- Before
+SELECT name, department, MAX(salary) FROM employees GROUP BY department;
+
+-- After
+SELECT ANY_VALUE(name), department, MAX(salary) FROM employees GROUP BY department;
+```
+
+For Drupal sites, you can override the sql_mode in `settings.php`:
+
+```php
+$databases['default']['default']['init_commands'] = [
+  'sql_mode' => "SET sql_mode = 'STRICT_TRANS_TABLES,ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO,NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION'",
+];
+```
+
+### Collation Mismatch Errors
+
+If you create new tables after migration and join them with migrated tables, you may see:
+
+```
+ERROR 1267: Illegal mix of collations
+```
+
+**Fix:** Set the collation explicitly on new tables to match your existing tables:
+
+```sql
+ALTER TABLE new_table CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
+```
+
+For WordPress, add to `wp-config.php`:
+
+```php
+define('DB_COLLATE', 'utf8mb4_general_ci');
+```
+
+## More Resources
+
+- [MariaDB and MySQL FAQ](/guides/mariadb-mysql/mariadb-mysql-faq)
+- [Database Connection Errors](/guides/mariadb-mysql/database-connection-errors)
+- [pantheon.yml Configuration](/pantheon-yml)