# query_too_complex

Source: https://capacms.com/docs/errors/query_too_complex

400 invalid_request. The query is over a budget, and the message says which, what it measured and the limit.

| HTTP status | `type`            | Surfaces      |
| ----------- | ----------------- | ------------- |
| 400         | `invalid_request` | REST, GraphQL |

## What it means

The query is over a budget, and the message says which, what it measured and the limit. The budgets: 5,000 entries (each totalCount and each filter or sort through a relation costs 500 more), 10 root fields, 25 lists, 1,000 fields, depth 8, 32 KB documents, entries 5 levels deep (4 relations below the root), 12 relations expanded per root field, 200 values per list operator, 50 filter conditions nested at most 8 deep.

| When                                                   | What the `hint` tells you                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| past 5 levels of entries, 12 expansions or 5,000 nodes | for depth, the 5 levels and to read the deeper entries with a second request; for nodes, the list to change and a `limit:` that fits; otherwise the three caps, and to lower a `limit:` or expand fewer relations |

## What to do

Ask for fewer fields, a smaller first, or fewer nested relations; split one query into several.

## The response

HTTP 400:

```json
{
  "error": {
    "type": "invalid_request",
    "code": "query_too_complex",
    "message": "This request could return 5,025 entries, over the limit of 5,000.",
    "docs": "https://docs.capacms.com/errors/query_too_complex"
  },
  "meta": {
    "version": "2026-10-01",
    "contract": 1,
    "requestId": "req_0f3c…"
  }
}
```

## On GraphQL

`/api/graphql` answers the same `code` inside `errors[].extensions`. The status depends on the `Accept` header you send ([status codes](https://capacms.com/docs/api/graphql#status-codes)):

| `application/json` | `graphql-response+json` | When                                                  |
| ------------------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 200                | 400, or 200 on a field  | any limit above; after SQL, more than 5,000 rows read |

## See also

* [Limits](https://capacms.com/docs/api/limits)
* [GraphQL limits](https://capacms.com/docs/api/graphql#limits)
* [GraphQL cost](https://capacms.com/docs/api/graphql#cost)