query is too complex 🔌 API

GraphQL: Query is too complex / exceeds maximum operation depth / complexity limit

The server rejected the query because it’s too deep or too expensive according to its depth/complexity limits.

Seen on: REST API

Meaning

Public GraphQL APIs (GitHub, Shopify) and servers with graphql-depth-limit or cost analysis protect themselves from huge queries. Request fewer fields/levels or paginate smaller.

Common causes

  • Deeply nested query beyond max depth
  • Large page sizes multiplying cost (first: 100 inside first: 100)
  • Requesting many connections at once

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Reduce nesting and page sizes
  2. Split into multiple queries
  3. Check the API’s cost/rate-limit fields in the response

Detailed fix by platform

JavaScript

  1. javascript
    // smaller pages + cursor pagination
query { repository(owner: "o", name: "r") { issues(first: 20, after: $cursor) { nodes { title } pageInfo { endCursor hasNextPage } } } }

How to diagnose

  1. Limits — Documented depth/cost
  2. Query — Nesting and first/last sizes

🔧 Still not fixed?

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