Limit
Keep the first N records after an optional offset, overall or per group.
Keep the first N records after an optional offset, overall or per group.
When to use it
Take a bounded window after an optional offset, either overall or per group. Sort first if the meaning of “first” matters. This changes the records delivered downstream; it is separate from paging a viewer over already stored results.
Add and configure
- Add Limit from the workflow step picker.
- Give the step a recognisable name and connect its required inputs.
- Set the options below. Nested names identify fields within an object or a list item.
- Validate the recipe, inspect the test result, then run it on the intended data.
The step identifier used in the editor’s code view is limit.
Settings
| Setting | Accepted value | Required | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Count (count) | integer; minimum 0 | Yes | Not specified | How many records to keep (per group with per_group). |
Offset (offset) | integer; minimum 0 | No | 0 | How many records to skip first (per group with per_group). |
Per Group (per_group) | list of string | No | Not specified | JSONPaths whose values together name a group; the offset and count then apply within each group. Empty: one group, the whole input. |
Inputs and outputs
| Direction | Port | Content | Required | Multiple records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inputs | in | records | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs | out | records | Yes | Yes |
Effects, testing, and recovery
Transforms or passes records without a declared external side effect.
The declared preview behaviour is to execute this step. Reads, processing, or model usage can therefore be real. Read dry runs before using a preview with live connections.
No duplicate-prevention key is declared for this step. The step declares safe replay for its supported recovery path.
Example: Keep the first two
Step settings:
{
"count": 2
}
Input records:
[
{
"n": 1
},
{
"n": 2
},
{
"n": 3
}
]
Expected output for this example:
[
{
"n": 1
},
{
"n": 2
}
]
Example: The second page of two
Step settings:
{
"count": 2,
"offset": 2
}
Input records:
[
{
"n": 1
},
{
"n": 2
},
{
"n": 3
},
{
"n": 4
},
{
"n": 5
}
]
Expected output for this example:
[
{
"n": 3
},
{
"n": 4
}
]
Example: At most one record per topic
Step settings:
{
"count": 1,
"per_group": [
"$.topic"
]
}
Input records:
[
{
"title": "a1",
"topic": "ai"
},
{
"title": "a2",
"topic": "ai"
},
{
"title": "s1",
"topic": "space"
}
]
Expected output for this example:
[
{
"title": "a1",
"topic": "ai"
},
{
"title": "s1",
"topic": "space"
}
]
Check the result
Inspect the selected run’s status, counts, errors, and output records. An empty collection can be a valid result, and a completed step can contain per-record failures where the step defines that behaviour. Check the next step’s expected record shape before publishing or delivering the result.