---
title: Limit token count token filter
description: Limits the number of output tokens. The limit filter is commonly used to limit the size of document field values based on token count. By default, the...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/text-analysis/analysis-limit-token-count-tokenfilter
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Limit token count token filter
Limits the number of output tokens. The `limit` filter is commonly used to limit the size of document field values based on token count.
By default, the `limit` filter keeps only the first token in a stream. For example, the filter can change the token stream `[ one, two, three ]` to `[ one ]`.
This filter uses Lucene’s [LimitTokenCountFilter](https://lucene.apache.org/core/6_6_1/analyzers-common/org/apache/lucene/analysis/miscellaneous/LimitTokenCountFilter.html).
<tip>
  ```
   If you want to limit the size of field values based on
  _character length_, use the <<ignore-above,`ignore_above`>> mapping parameter.
  ```
</tip>


## Configurable parameters

<definitions>
  <definition term="max_token_count">
    (Optional, integer) Maximum number of tokens to keep. Once this limit is reached, any remaining tokens are excluded from the output. Defaults to `1`.
  </definition>
  <definition term="consume_all_tokens">
    (Optional, Boolean) If `true`, the `limit` filter exhausts the token stream, even if the `max_token_count` has already been reached. Defaults to `false`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Example

The following [analyze API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-analyze) request uses the `limit` filter to keep only the first two tokens in `quick fox jumps over lazy dog`:
```json

{
  "tokenizer": "standard",
    "filter": [
    {
      "type": "limit",
      "max_token_count": 2
    }
  ],
  "text": "quick fox jumps over lazy dog"
}
```

The filter produces the following tokens:
```text
[ quick, fox ]
```


## Add to an analyzer

The following [create index API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-create) request uses the `limit` filter to configure a new [custom analyzer](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/manage-data/data-store/text-analysis/create-custom-analyzer).
```json

{
  "settings": {
    "analysis": {
      "analyzer": {
        "standard_one_token_limit": {
          "tokenizer": "standard",
          "filter": [ "limit" ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```


## Customize

To customize the `limit` filter, duplicate it to create the basis for a new custom token filter. You can modify the filter using its configurable parameters.
For example, the following request creates a custom `limit` filter that keeps only the first five tokens of a stream:
```json

{
  "settings": {
    "analysis": {
      "analyzer": {
        "whitespace_five_token_limit": {
          "tokenizer": "whitespace",
          "filter": [ "five_token_limit" ]
        }
      },
      "filter": {
        "five_token_limit": {
          "type": "limit",
          "max_token_count": 5
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```