topic Re: What is the record limit? in ArcGIS for Excel Questions

What is the record limit?

DougBrowning — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 21:06:07 GMT

Got this message today but I cannot find anywhere what the limit is? We have some up to 8 million and I do not expect that but need to know what it is.

Also how can I limit it somehow? We can make one excel file per state but how would I do that if I get stopped right away? Would I have to make 12 different state maps and load from those?

A way to add a query before the pull would be pretty sweet I guess. Is this possible at all? Then I could pull 1 state and it would all be faster.

thanks

Re: What is the record limit?

ShannonCardoza — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:37:30 GMT

Good Afternoon @DougBrowning,

Great question, so glad you posted this here. Let's share the knowledge wealth on record limits!

For ArcGIS for Excel, the following limits apply:

Max row - 1,048,575
Import to Excel (column limit) - 16,384
Max row per sheet - 1,048,576
Max column per sheet - 16, 384
Cell character - 32,767

Hope this is what you were looking for! Let me know if there is anything else I can assist with!

All the best,

Re: What is the record limit?

DougBrowning — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:07:53 GMT

Thanks. Why the 1 million limit? That went away with xlxs format so its possible now I think.

Re: What is the record limit?

ShannonCardoza — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:14:20 GMT

I would need to ask our developers for a concrete reason but from previous conversations, if memory serves correctly, we did NOT want to NOT add a limit and expect to support an 'unlimited' number of items/rows/columns so we try to align as close as possible to MFST Excel limits. @DougBrowning

Re: What is the record limit?

DougBrowning — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:47:53 GMT

I get it, we just happen to have one that is 1.2 million and almost makes it. So then my next question is can I somehow add a query? We have a national dataset but we do want to make one file per state to get around the limit and to make it faster. But I have to add all the data before I can filter in excel and then I hit the limit. Hope that makes sense. I am hoping not to have to make 12 maps each with a state filter.

Re: What is the record limit?

ShannonCardoza — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:43:23 GMT

Hey @DougBrowning, good afternoon-ish,

and of course we just squeaked by the limit threshold you are working with. Shucks!

So currently, the short answer is no query option but I am assuming you are adding a feature layer from AGOL, so couldn't you query in AGOL, save each query for each state and then bring that layer into ArcGIS for Excel?

What is your ideal shortcut workflow? You already know I am open to ideas and we could potentially make something happen.

-SC

Re: What is the record limit?

DougBrowning — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:08:21 GMT

This workaround would be way beyond all of our users.