How do i disable ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY (sql_mode) in AWS RDS?

The parameter can be changed to "ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY" by following the instructions in the following document.
Note that some parameters may require a restart of RDS.
https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/rds-modify-parameter-group-values
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_WorkingWithDBInstanceParamGroups.html#USER_WorkingWithParamGroups.Modifying

No, the "ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY" mode in the SQL mode parameter cannot be directly disabled in Amazon RDS. This is because Amazon manages and maintains the RDS database services, including the parameter groups, with a focus on security, reliability, and performance. The "ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY" mode is enabled by default to ensure strict SQL standards compliance.

However, you can still achieve similar behavior by using an alternative approach. Instead of disabling the mode, you can modify your queries or adjust the code to use aggregate functions or group by all non-aggregated columns to comply with the "ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY" mode. This will still allow your queries to execute successfully and produce the desired results.

If you believe that disabling the "ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY" mode is necessary for your specific use case, you might consider self-hosting a database where you have full control over the configuration settings and can disable the mode if needed.

Hello, here are the results of my own testing: Based on RDS MySQL version 8.0.35, only_full_group_by was disabled by default, and the query executed successfully.

From the following link, I found this answer:

Strict mode is OFF by default on RDS MySQL 8, we have sql_mode=NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION only.

I hope this information helps.

https://repost.aws/questions/QUZg91IPXvT_yGxfWqiI6DWA/is-it-possible-to-turn-off-strict-sql-mode-in-rds-for-mysql-v8-0