--- title: "29: Recursive queries | SurrealDB University" description: "Follow along with interactive SurrealDB lessons featuring hands-on exercises, code examples, and step-by-step instructions." url: https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29 --- ![Course content preview](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/town.D95IYf2V.avif) [Back to Courses](https://surrealdb.com/learn) Course chapters [Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour) [1: Connecting to a database](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-01) [2: Creating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-02) [3: Using the ONLY keyword](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-03) [4: Non-ASCII record IDs](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-04) [5: Parentheses, indexing, and accessing fields](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-05) [6: Deleting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-06) [7: Field order in objects](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-07) [8: Tips when selecting records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-08) [9: Casting and aliases](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-09) [10: Affixes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-10) [11: Updating records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-11) [12: Linking records](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-12) [13: Viewing the database as a whole](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-13) [14: Schemafull and schemaless](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-14) [15: Viewing the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-15) [16: Literal types and assertions](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-16) [17: INSERT and using JSON](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-17) [18: FOR loops](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-18) [19: Basic graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-19) [20: Creating graph edges](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-20) [21: Querying graph relations](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-21) [22: Graph relations at greater depth](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-22) [23: Adding and improving data](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-23) [24: Defining events](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-24) [25: Defining indexes](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-25) [26: Improving the schema](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-26) [27: Visualising graph paths](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-27) [28: Recursive queries: setup](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28) [29: Recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29) [30: More on recursive queries](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-30) [31: AI vector search](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-31) [Done the tour!](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-32) # 29: Recursive queries After all the setup we did in the last page, let's do a very basic recursive query starting at the building called Event Junction, located at the top left part of the map. Where can we go from here? Here are some of the ways to follow the `connected_to` path from here. ``` place:event_junction.connected_to;place:event_junction.connected_to.connected_to;place:event_junction.{2}.connected_to; ``` ![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query While the first query simply shows the two places that are connected to Event Junction, the second and third are slightly different. - The second query is two arrays showing the possible places you could be if you had picked Index Avenue, or Rust Row, and gone on to the next path. - The third query is a single array showing the possible places you could be after two steps away from Event Junction. Response ```surql -------- Query -------- [ street:index_avenue, street:rust_row ] -------- Query 2 -------- [ [ place:event_junction, place:surreal_square, place:surrealdb_university, street:bowler_hat_alley, street:record_link_way, street:rust_row, street:statement_street ], [ place:idiom_tower, street:transaction_trail, street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, street:schema_boulevard ] ] -------- Query -------- [ place:event_junction, place:surreal_square, place:surrealdb_university, street:bowler_hat_alley, street:record_link_way, street:rust_row, street:statement_street, place:idiom_tower, street:transaction_trail, street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, street:schema_boulevard ] ``` The `{2}` in the third query is part of SurrealDB's recursive syntax. You can replace this with a different number, or a range. For example, writing `{..6}` tells the database to try up to a depth of 6. There are also three keywords that you can add after this number or range, which tells the database to use a certain algorithm. They are: - `path`, to show all the paths walked. - `collect`, to collect all the unique records walked along the path. - `shortest+some_record_id`, to show the shortest path to get to a certain record. ``` place:idiom_tower.{3+path}.connected_to; ``` ![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query The output is really long, so here are just the first two. It shows that you could: - Go to Bowler Hat Alley, then Index Avenue, then Event Junction. - Go to Bowler Hat Alley, then Index Avenue, then Surreal Square. And so on. Response ```surql [ [ street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, place:event_junction ], [ street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, place:surreal_square ] ] ``` The output for `collect` is a lot shorter: just a single array showing all the places you could visit within 3 steps. ``` place:idiom_tower.{3+collect}.connected_to; ``` ![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query ```surql [ street:bowler_hat_alley, street:rust_row, street:schema_boulevard, street:index_avenue, place:idiom_tower, street:transaction_trail, place:access_court, street:recursive_crossing, place:event_junction, place:surreal_square, place:surrealdb_university, street:record_link_way, street:statement_street ] ``` With `shortest`, you will want to use a range instead of a set number. Let's see if we can find the shortest path from Idiom Tower to Push to Main Street within six steps. ``` place:idiom_tower.{..6+shortest=street:push_to_main_street}.connected_to; ``` ![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query The output shows that it can be done in four steps. ```surql [ street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, street:record_link_way, street:push_to_main_street ] ``` And for all of these algorithms, you can add `+inclusive` if you want to include the original record. ``` place:idiom_tower.{..+shortest=street:push_to_main_street+inclusive}.connected_to; ``` ![Surrealist Icon](https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/fdfe2c20f5941d5e.D0guSOhZ.webp) Run Query ```surql [ place:idiom_tower, street:bowler_hat_alley, street:index_avenue, street:record_link_way, street:push_to_main_street ] ``` Here we used `..` for an open range, because we don't know what depth the query will go down to. Instead, the algorithm will return as soon as it finds the shortest path. Previous 28: Recursive queries: setup [Previous](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28) Next lesson 30: More on recursive queries [Next lesson](https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-30) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Course","name":"Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!","description":"Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour","inLanguage":"en","isAccessibleForFree":true,"provider":{"@type":"Organization","name":"SurrealDB","url":"https://surrealdb.com"},"hasPart":[{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"1: Connecting to a database","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-01"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"2: Creating records","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-02"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"3: Using the ONLY keyword","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-03"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"4: Non-ASCII record IDs","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-04"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"5: Parentheses, indexing, and accessing fields","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-05"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"6: Deleting records","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-06"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"7: Field order in objects","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-07"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"8: Tips when selecting records","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-08"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"9: Casting and aliases","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-09"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"10: Affixes","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-10"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"11: Updating records","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-11"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"12: Linking records","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-12"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"13: Viewing the database as a whole","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-13"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"14: Schemafull and schemaless","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-14"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"15: Viewing the schema","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-15"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"16: Literal types and assertions","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-16"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"17: INSERT and using JSON","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-17"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"18: FOR loops","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-18"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"19: Basic graph relations","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-19"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"20: Creating graph edges","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-20"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"21: Querying graph relations","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-21"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"22: Graph relations at greater depth","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-22"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"23: Adding and improving data","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-23"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"24: Defining events","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-24"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"25: Defining indexes","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-25"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"26: Improving the schema","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-26"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"27: Visualising graph paths","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-27"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"28: Recursive queries: setup","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-28"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"29: Recursive queries","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"30: More on recursive queries","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-30"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"31: AI vector search","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-31"},{"@type":"LearningResource","name":"Done the tour!","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-32"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"LearningResource","name":"29: Recursive queries","description":"Recursive queries","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour/page-29","learningResourceType":"lesson","isPartOf":{"@type":"Course","name":"Welcome to the Tour of SurrealDB!","url":"https://surrealdb.com/learn/tour"},"position":30} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"SurrealDB","url":"https://surrealdb.com","logo":"https://surrealdb.com/assets/static/logo.BG7_TG2b.svg","description":"SurrealDB is the unified data layer for AI. 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