Why is SQL Server only storing 4000 characters in an NVARCHAR(MAX) column?

Hi Guys, I'm trying to insert a string with 10,000 plain characters (just repeated 'A's) into a column defined as NVARCHAR(MAX) in SQL Server. But LEN(Content) always returns 4000, not 10,000. I...

large database used size

nvarchar

sql

sql server

Viorel

Oct 08, 2025

Try to cast the N'A'. The next example shows the differences:

declare @LongText1 nvarchar(max)
declare @LongText2 nvarchar(max)

set @LongText1 = replicate(N'A', 10000)
set @LongText2 = replicate(cast(N'A' as nvarchar(max)), 10000)

select len(@LongText1), len(@LongText2) -- returns 4000 and 10000

declare @LongText1 nvarchar(max) declare @LongText2 nvarchar(max) set @LongText1 = replicate(N'A', 10000) set @LongText2 = replicate(cast(N'A' as nvarchar(max)), 10000) select len(@LongText1), len(@LongText2) -- returns 4000 and 10000

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Why is SQL Server only storing 4000 characters in an NVARCHAR(MAX) column?

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