5000 row limit blocks heatmaps from showing all markers

[Jjimi]

Hello, 

The row limit feature on Looker is causing issues with loading all data on heatmaps.

I was wondering, therefore, if there is a way to increase or remove the limit.

Here are the details.

Issue: 

The row limit of 5000 is preventing all markers from being displayed on the heatmap.

Description: 

We use in-game coordinates from data sent by the players every second to display locations on the game map.

It triggers the data frequently, causing the result to exceed the 5000 row limit.

Actual result: 

When the number of rows is limited, the markers on the map are displayed abnormally.

Sometimes no markers are shown, or sometimes half of them are shown in the wrong location when running the query.

Expected result: 

All markers should be shown on the map in the correct location.

Alternative: 

We have tried rounding up the coordinates using {% parameter scale %}.

I have created a separate Look as an indicator when the total row exceeds 5000, depending on the result of filtering.

So, I have built at least three objects whenever I have made heatmaps: heatmaps, the indicator, and the scale filter.

However, rounding up the coordinates has not always been the best solution.

So, I was wondering if there is any way to raise the bar or remove it for heatmaps specifically.

Thank you.

[NorieRam]

Hi @Jjimi ,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

Currently, Looker’s row limit is fixed at 5,000 and cannot be increased or removed, causing an issue on your loading all data on heatmaps.

You may find it helpful to review the release notes, which mentioned that “An issue where a hardcoded row limit of 5,000 would cause visualization options to disappear has been fixed.”

Additionally, you can refer to this related Google Cloud Community question about row limits in Looker. As mentioned by @Dawid  and @a_shah, it restricts visualizations, including heatmaps, tables, and maps, to a maximum of 5,000 data points. While Looker can handle queries on larger datasets (e.g., 15,000 rows or more), the final aggregated results for visualizations must not exceed 5,000 rows. This ensures that your charts and visualizations remain clear and manageable.

I hope the above information is helpful.