LIMIT clause

The LIMIT clause is used to limit the number of records returned by a query. It is particularly useful when you want to retrieve a specific number of records from a table.

When using the LIMIT clause, it is possible to paginate results by using the START clause to start from a specific record from the result set.

Syntax

Clause Syntax
LIMIT @number [START @number]

Examples

-- Select the first 10 records
SELECT * FROM person LIMIT 10;

-- Start at record 50 and select the following 10 records
SELECT * FROM person LIMIT 10 START 50;

The LIMIT clause followed by 1 is often used along with the ONLY clause to satisfy the requirement that only up to a single record can be returned.

-- Record IDs are unique so guaranteed to be no more than 1
SELECT * FROM ONLY person:jamie;

-- Error because no guarantee that this will return a single record
SELECT * FROM ONLY person WHERE name = "Jaime";

-- Add `LIMIT 1` to ensure that only up to one record will be returned
SELECT * FROM ONLY person WHERE name = "Jaime" LIMIT 1;