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set-rowcount-transact-sql.md

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title SET ROWCOUNT (Transact-SQL)
description SET ROWCOUNT (Transact-SQL)
author WilliamDAssafMSFT
ms.author wiassaf
ms.date 03/16/2017
ms.service sql
ms.subservice t-sql
ms.topic reference
ms.custom
ignite-2025
f1_keywords
SET_ROWCOUNT_TSQL
ROWCOUNT_TSQL
SET ROWCOUNT
ROWCOUNT
helpviewer_keywords
row return limitations [SQL Server]
SET ROWCOUNT statement
number of rows affected by statement
ROWCOUNT option
counting rows
stopping queries
limiting rows returned
queries [SQL Server], stopping
dev_langs
TSQL
monikerRange >=aps-pdw-2016 || =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric-sqldb

SET ROWCOUNT (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDE sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricsqldb]

Causes [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] to stop processing the query after the specified number of rows are returned.

:::image type="icon" source="../../includes/media/topic-link-icon.svg" border="false"::: Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

SET ROWCOUNT { number | @number_var }

Arguments

number | @number_var
Is the number, an integer, of rows to be processed before stopping the specific query.

Remarks

Important

Using SET ROWCOUNT will not affect DELETE, INSERT, and UPDATE statements in a future release of SQL Server. Avoid using SET ROWCOUNT with DELETE, INSERT, and UPDATE statements in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use it. For a similar behavior, use the TOP syntax. For more information, see TOP (Transact-SQL).

To set this option off so that all rows are returned, specify SET ROWCOUNT 0.

Setting the SET ROWCOUNT option causes most [!INCLUDEtsql] statements to stop processing when they have been affected by the specified number of rows. This includes triggers. The ROWCOUNT option does not affect dynamic cursors, but it does limit the rowset of keyset and insensitive cursors. This option should be used with caution.

SET ROWCOUNT overrides the SELECT statement TOP keyword if the rowcount is the smaller value.

The setting of SET ROWCOUNT is set at execute or run time and not at parse time.

Permissions

Requires membership in the public role.

Examples

SET ROWCOUNT stops processing after the specified number of rows. In the following example, note that over 500 rows meet the criteria of Quantity less than 300. However, after applying SET ROWCOUNT, you can see that not all rows were returned.

USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
SELECT count(*) AS Count  
FROM Production.ProductInventory  
WHERE Quantity < 300;  
GO

[!INCLUDEssResult]

Count 
----------- 
537 

(1 row(s) affected)

Now, set ROWCOUNT to 4 and return all rows to demonstrate that only 4 rows are returned.

SET ROWCOUNT 4;  
SELECT *  
FROM Production.ProductInventory  
WHERE Quantity < 300;  
GO  
  
-- (4 row(s) affected)

Examples: [!INCLUDEssazuresynapse-md] and [!INCLUDEssPDW]

SET ROWCOUNT stops processing after the specified number of rows. In the following example, note that more than 20 rows meet the criteria of AccountType = 'Assets'. However, after applying SET ROWCOUNT, you can see that not all rows were returned.

-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
SET ROWCOUNT 5;  
SELECT * FROM [dbo].[DimAccount]  
WHERE AccountType = 'Assets';

To return all rows, set ROWCOUNT to 0.

-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
SET ROWCOUNT 0;  
SELECT * FROM [dbo].[DimAccount]  
WHERE AccountType = 'Assets';

See Also

SET Statements (Transact-SQL)