The Problem: What Happens When Input Is Too Long?

Imagine a user enters a 300-character category name like:

"This is a very long category name that just keeps going without any real meaning but still manages to break the system in unexpected ways..."

Without proper limits, here’s what could happen:

• The user interface breaks, especially on mobile or in tables

• The database field (e.g., VARCHAR 50) throws an error or truncates the data

• The system crashes or behaves unpredictably

• You end up with messy, inconsistent data in your records

✅ The Solution: Set Sensible Limits

Most category names are short. Common examples include:

• "Home Decor"

• "Books"

• "Men's Clothing"

These rarely exceed 20–30 characters. So, the smart move is to:

1. Set a maximum character limit (e.g., 50 characters)

2. Use both frontend and backend validation

3. Give real-time feedback (e.g., character counters)

4. Show clear error messages, like:

   “Category name must be 50 characters or fewer.”