# Direct Query limitations

The following section describes the limitations of Direct Query.

The following limitations apply when using and creating Direct Query applications:

* Direct Query applications can only use a single database.

* Direct Query applications can only reload Direct Query data sources.

* The Qlik Analytics mobile application does not support Direct Query.

* Direct Query capabilities are dependent on the capabilities of the underlying cloud databases and SQL pushdown.

* Direct Query performance is heavily affected by the performance of the underlying data source.

* What is supported in Direct Query mode might be different in each application depending on the data connection type. Each database might treat the execution of queries differently.

* It is not possible to use Qlik Data Gateway - Direct Access data connections in Direct Query.

* Security is handled by the database.

* Direct Query application type can only be selected for databases where Direct Query mode is supported.

* To use Direct Query on a database, you need to have permission to read from the database.

* To use Direct Query on a data connection, you need to have the Can consume data permission in the space where the data connection resides.

* Interception and local execution of some operations will only follow the caching paradigm, which the user must turn on.

* The following activity center actions are not supported:

  * Impact analysis

  * Open without data

  * Evaluate performance

  * Reload

  * Schedule reload

* Direct Query applications can be published to managed spaces, but users in the managed space must have access to the data connection used by the Direct Query application.

* There is a 1 million row limit on what can be returned in a single query to an underlying database.

* The green, white and grey associative model is not supported. Because of the limitations of SQL query-based modelling, data is filtered rather than selected. For more information, see [The associative selection model](https://help.qlik.com/en-US/cloud-services/Subsystems/Hub/Content/Sense_Hub/Selections/associative-selection-model.htm).

* Sorting options are not supported in filter pane visualizations. Default sorting is applied automatically.

* Direct Query filter panes do not indicate excluded values in gray. For more information, see [Selection states](https://help.qlik.com/en-US/cloud-services/Subsystems/Hub/Content/Sense_Hub/Selections/selection-states.htm).

* Bookmarks are not supported.

* Visualization extensions are not supported.

* Embedding application content is not supported.

* Sharing and downloading application content is not supported.

* Reporting capabilities, including the Qlik Reporting Service value-add features and subscription reports, are not supported in Direct Query applications.

* Context sensitive help is not available in the expression editor for Snowflake functions.

* The following field search capabilities are not supported:

  * Fuzzy search

  * Compound search

  * Implicit word-based search or word-based search expressed with "^"

  * "-" and "+" symbols indicating additional search semantics instructions

* When a Qlik Cloud Direct Query SQL query is constructed to request row data to populate a chart, the maximum result size will be constrained by a LIMIT n (or its database-specific equivalent) included in the relevant SQL query sent to the remote database.

  This LIMIT n serves to reduce potential query performance impact and Analytics engine memory use impact by limiting the maximum number of data result rows returned for a single query result.

  * LIMIT n will have n greater than or equal to 1000 in almost all generated SQL data queries. Specific charts have the following considerations:

    * Scatter plot chart data queries have a default n of 2500.

    * For a table chart the LIMIT n can be configured explicitly up to a maximum n of 100000 using the DirectQueryRowFetchMaxCount script variable described in [Direct Query script variables](https://help.qlik.com/en-US/cloud-services/Subsystems/Hub/Content/Sense_Hub/DirectQuery/internal-variables-direct-query.htm).

    * If DirectQueryRowFetchMaxCount is configured to be > 0 and < 2500 then the DirectQueryRowFetchMaxCountvalue will also be used to restrict the LIMIT n used to query data for a scatter plot.

  * It is important to note that the applied LIMIT discussed above applies only to data fetch queries to populate what is visible on a chart. Aggregation queries are not limited in any way and will always reflect the correct database-specific aggregation result of the complete dataset in the remote database.

  * The row data fetch limits will also impact on-demand application-generated content from a Direct Query application.

* The write table is not available in Direct Query applications.