Import/export failure in phpMyAdmin

If you get the following errors when importing or exporting from phpMyAdmin:

import.php: Missing parameter: import_type
import.php: Missing parameter: format

The text does not identify a single cause. Keep the exact operation, the time, the file name and size, and the phpMyAdmin version shown in cPanel.

1. Log out and log back in to phpMyAdmin from cPanel.
2. Try once more in a private window. If it works, clear only the site data for cPanel or phpMyAdmin, not all the browser's cookies.
3. Try another current, supported browser to rule out a problem with the local profile. Do not blame Chrome just because the result changes.
4. If it happens again, contact support with the time and the full message so the PHP logs and session configuration can be reviewed. The phpMyAdmin documentation lists, among other causes, session.save_path, parameter limits and arg_separator.input.

Do not change import, memory or timeout limits unless the error or the relevant log points to them.

Check whether there was a partial import

Before retrying an import, check whether tables were created or data was inserted. Repeating the same file can cause duplicates, key errors or replaced content. Test on a new, empty database and keep the original intact.

For an export, check that the downloaded file really is SQL or the format you chose, and not an HTML error page. Check its size, its header and that it can be restored; the browser having downloaded a file does not prove that it contains the whole database.