What This Node Does
The Limit node restricts the number of rows returned, keeping only the first N rows and discarding the rest. Essential for “Top 10” analyses, testing workflows, and sampling data. [SCREENSHOT: Limit node on canvas showing “10,000 → 100 rows (first 100 kept)“]When to Use This Node
Use the Limit node when you need to:- Get Top N results - Top 10 products, Top 100 customers (combine with Sort)
- Test workflows - Process small sample during development, remove limit for production
- Sample data - Get representative sample without processing millions of rows
- Optimize performance - Reduce data early in workflow to speed up expensive operations
Step-by-Step Usage Guide
1
Add Limit node to canvas
2
Connect to upstream data
3
Set limit value
Enter the number of rows to keep (e.g., 10 for Top 10, 1000 for testing)[SCREENSHOT: Limit input field]
4
Set offset (optional)
For pagination, set offset to skip first N rows (e.g., offset 100 = start at row 101)[SCREENSHOT: Offset input field]
5
Preview limited results
Tips and Best Practices
Sort Before Limit: Always sort before using Limit for “Top N” analyses. Without sorting, you get arbitrary first N rows.
Use for Testing: Add Limit (1000) after Input during development to test workflows quickly. Remove before running the completed workflow.
Limit vs Filter: Limit takes first N rows (arbitrary). Filter removes rows based on conditions (logical). Use Filter for criteria-based selection.
Early Placement for Speed: For performance, place Limit early in workflow to reduce data flowing through expensive operations.
Sort → Limit Pattern: The pattern Sort → Limit is extremely common. Use it for any “Top N” or “Bottom N” report.
Document Test Limits: If using Limit for testing, add a note in workflow description: “Remove limit before production run”.