seniorMySQL

Primary Key Fragmentation and Page Splits

Updated May 4, 2026

Short answer

The physical overhead caused by non-sequential primary key insertions.

Deep explanation

When using UUIDs or random keys, InnoDB must split B-tree nodes to insert rows in the middle of a range, leading to fragmented pages and lower density.

Unlock with a Pro subscription to view this section.

View pricing

Real-world example

No real-world example available yet.

Unlock with a Pro subscription to view this section.

Upgrade to Pro

Common mistakes

No common mistakes listed yet.

Unlock with a Pro subscription to view this section.

Upgrade to Pro

Follow-up questions

No follow-up questions available yet.

Unlock with a Pro subscription to view this section.

Upgrade to Pro

More MySQL interview questions

View all →