How to Override the Row Limit on Large Queries
By default, the analytics assistant returns a maximum of 2,000 rows per query. This protects against accidentally pulling very large datasets and keeps responses fast.
For most queries 2,000 rows is more than enough. However, when you are working with a large carrier's full schedule — for example, all United routes in a season, or every American Airlines departure from a hub across a date range — the result set can legitimately exceed this limit and your data will be incomplete without a row limit override.
This guide explains when and how to request more rows.
When to use a row limit override
Use an override when:
- The assistant tells you the result was limited to 2,000 rows and you suspect there is more data.
- You are pulling a full carrier schedule for a large airline (United, American, Delta, etc.).
- You are exporting to CSV and need a complete dataset, not a sample.
- You are running a ROLLUP / totals query and the grand total row appears to be missing or incorrect (grand totals appear last and are the first casualty of truncation).
Do not use an override for exploratory queries where a sample is sufficient. The default 2,000 rows is the right choice for most day-to-day questions.
How to request a row limit override
Include one of the following phrases anywhere in your message. You can combine it naturally with your normal question.
Specify a row count
Request more rows without specifying a count
If you are not sure how many rows you need, just ask for more and the assistant will use a default of 10,000 rows:
What the assistant will do
When your message includes override language, the assistant will:
-
Switch to the high-limit query engine (supports up to 20,000 rows).
-
Set the row limit to the count you specified, or 10,000 if you did not specify one.
-
Confirm the override at the start of its response:
"Using override row limit of 10,000 rows (max 20,000)."
-
Report the actual number of rows returned once the query completes.
All other behaviour — column naming, date filters, deduplication, ROLLUP totals — remains unchanged.
Row limit reference
| Scenario | Row limit | How to set |
|---|---|---|
| Standard query (default) | 2,000 | Nothing required |
| Small override | Up to 5,000 | override limit 5000 |
| Medium override | Up to 10,000 | override limit 10000 or override the row limit (default) |
| Large override | Up to 20,000 | override limit 20000 |
Maximum supported override is 20,000 rows. If your dataset is expected to exceed this, consider breaking the query into smaller segments (e.g. by month, region, or destination group) or requesting an export to CSV so results can be concatenated outside the assistant.
Tips
You do not need a special syntax — just include the override phrase as part of how you would normally phrase the request:
If you are running a totals / ROLLUP query and the grand total is missing, the most reliable fix is to request an override:
Run the query first at the default limit. The assistant will tell you how many rows were returned. If it says "limited to 2,000 rows", add an override on your follow-up:
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grand total row missing from a totals table | Result truncated at 2,000 rows before ROLLUP could append the grand total | Re-run with row limit override: 10000 |
| Result still shows only 2,000 rows after asking for an override | Override phrase not recognised | Try a more explicit phrase: "override limit 5000" or "row limit override: 5000" |
| Query returns far fewer rows than the override limit | Your filters are working correctly — there are simply fewer matching rows in BigQuery | No action needed |
| Response is slow with a large override | High row counts take longer to retrieve and format | Consider narrowing your filters (date range, carrier, airport) before increasing the limit |