Go raises the “Error 1040: Too many connections” in MySQL occurs when the maximum number of concurrent connections to the MySQL server has been reached. By default, MySQL allows up to 151 concurrent connections.
In a Go application, this error might occur if your application creates many connections without closing them or uses a connection pool with an improperly configured maximum limit.
To fix this error, consider the following steps:
Fix 1: Close connections
Ensure that you are closing each connection after it is no longer needed. Use the defer statement to ensure connections are correctly closed.
package main
import (
"database/sql"
"log"
)
func main() {
conn, err := sql.Open("mysql", "user:password@tcp(localhost:3306)/dbname")
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
defer conn.Close()
}
Fix 2: Use the connection pooling
Go’s database/SQL package provides a built-in connection pool. First, configure the connection pool’s maximum number of connections by setting the SetMaxOpenConns property:
conn.SetMaxOpenConns(50)
Adjust the value based on your application’s needs and the MySQL server’s capacity.
Fix 3: Increase MySQL’s max_connections
If your application genuinely requires a higher number of concurrent connections, consider increasing the max_connections value in the MySQL configuration file (my.cnf or my.ini) under the [mysqld] section:
[mysqld]
max_connections = 300
After making the changes, restart the MySQL server for the new configuration to take effect.
Fix 4: Monitor connections
Keep an eye on how many connections your application makes to the MySQL server. Use the following SQL query to check the current number of connections:
SHOW STATUS WHERE Variable_name = 'Threads_connected';
Fix 5: Optimize queries and application logic
Review your application’s logic and queries to ensure they are optimized and not causing unnecessary connections. For example, if your application has long-running queries, consider optimizing them to reduce the load on the MySQL server.
Remember that increasing the number of concurrent connections consumes more server resources, so finding a balance between the application’s requirements and the server’s capacity is essential.

Krunal Lathiya is a Software Engineer with over eight years of experience. He has developed a strong foundation in computer science principles and a passion for problem-solving. In addition, Krunal has excellent knowledge of Distributed and cloud computing and is an expert in Go Language.