This view cannot be displayed because the number of lookup and workflow status columns it contains exceeds the threshold (8) enforced by the administrator.

Problem: “This view cannot be displayed because the number of lookup and workflow status columns it contains exceeds the threshold (8) enforced by the administrator.”

This view cannot be displayed because the number of lookup and workflow status columns it contains exceeds the threshold (8) enforced by the administrator.

Root Cause:

Usually, You’ll get this error message when your List view has many Lookup fields. The threshold feature is introduced in SharePoint 2010 to avoid performance hits in SharePoint Server. So, the simplest solution would be to limit the number of lookup/workflow fields in the SharePoint list view.

Please note, Not just “Lookup” fields are counted for threshold!  If you have the below columns in the view, they are also counted:

  • Managed Metadata columns
  • People/Group Columns (including: Created by, Modified by)
  • Workflow Status column

How to Increase List view Threshold value in SharePoint 2013?

In case you want to increase this limit, follow these steps:

  • Go to your SharePoint 2010/SharePoint 2013 Central Admin site
  • Click on Application Management >> Manage web applications
  • Select your target web application >> Click on “General settings >> Resource throttling” from the ribbon.
  • In the Resource throttling page, You can increase the List View Lookup Threshold from the default value to whatever you need.
Increase Threshold values in SharePoint 2013
Warning: You may burden your SharePoint server by increasing these default threshold values as it increases CPU, Memory loads on the server. So, be careful!

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two-decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. He has held various positions including SharePoint Architect, Administrator, Developer and consultant, has helped many organizations to implement and optimize SharePoint solutions. Known for his deep technical expertise, He's passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights to help others, through the real-world articles!

4 thoughts on “This view cannot be displayed because the number of lookup and workflow status columns it contains exceeds the threshold (8) enforced by the administrator.

  • is an IISreset required after changing this threshold?

    Reply
  • How do I fix this issue for SharePoint Online?

    Reply
    • Limiting the number of lookup columns (and other columns that are counted as lookups!) is the only solution in SharePoint Online!

      Reply

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