--- title: "How to Limit Number of Rows with Filters in a WordPress Table?" url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/limit-number-of-rows-in-a-wordpress-table/ date: 2023-04-11 modified: 2026-09-14 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "A two hundred row table pushes everything else off the screen, and most visitors only need the first few. The Data Table block can show a handful of rows at..." image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/limit-number-of-rows-in-a-wordpress-table-1024x519.jpg word_count: 437 --- # How to Limit Number of Rows with Filters in a WordPress Table? ## Key Takeaways - Data Table block activa Filter Dropdown y muestra 5, 10, 15 y All entries per page, con inicio en 5 y sin recarga de página al cambiar la selección. - Nexter Blocks Pro activa el desplegable de entradas por página; en la versión gratuita el interruptor aparece, pero no se renderiza ningún dropdown. - Data Table block no es compatible con Row Span ni Column Span, y una tabla combinada registra un heading mismatch en la consola del navegador. A two hundred row table pushes everything else off the screen, and most visitors only need the first few. The Data Table block can show a handful of rows at a time and let the visitor pick how many. *For every Data Table setting in one place, see the [Data Table block guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-data-table-in-wordpress/).* [LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/blocks/wordpress-data-table/) ## Before You Start - **Edition:** **Pro** — the entries dropdown needs Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Data Table, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **A table with more rows than you want shown at once.** ## Steps - Add the **Data Table** block to your page and click **Design from Scratch**. - In the **Table** panel, leave **Type** on **Standard**. ![The Table panel with Type set to Standard](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/data-table-type.webp) - Open **Table Header**. Each item's **Action** is either **Start New Row** or **Cell Content** — start a row, then add one **Cell Content** item per column and type its heading. ![A Table Header item with the Action dropdown](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/data-table-header.webp) - Open **Table Body** and do the same: a **Start New Row** item, then one **Cell Content** item per column with its **Text**. ![A Table Body cell item with the Text field](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/data-table-body.webp) - Open **Extra Settings** and switch **Filter Dropdown** on. ![The Extra Settings panel with Filter Dropdown switched on](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/data-table-filter.webp) - Publish the page. A dropdown appears above the table with the entries per page choices. ![A table with an entries per page dropdown above it](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/data-table-fe-filter.webp) ## How It Behaves - The dropdown offers **5**, **10**, **15** and **All** entries per page, and the table starts on 5.- Choosing a number re-renders the table immediately, with no page reload.- The rest of the rows are still in the page, so search and sorting work across all of them rather than only the visible ones.- With the dropdown off the table simply shows its rows — up to 500 on one page. ## Limitations - **Pro only.** The switch appears in the free plugin but no dropdown renders until Pro is active.- The choices are fixed at 5, 10, 15 and All — you cannot add your own numbers.- Every row still loads with the page, so this shortens the table rather than speeding up a huge one.- The block's own note warns that the dropdown is not compatible with tables using **Row Span** or **Column Span**, and a merged table does log a heading mismatch in the browser console. ## Troubleshooting ### No dropdown appears Check that **Filter Dropdown** is on and that Nexter Blocks Pro is active, then view the published page rather than the editor preview. ### The table shows every row anyway The dropdown is probably set to **All**. Reload the page to return it to the default of 5. ### The paging behaves oddly on a merged table Remove **Column Span** and **Row Span** from that table, or leave the dropdown off and present the table in full. ## Related Docs - [Add a search bar to the table](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-search-to-wordpress-table/)- [Enable column sorting](https://nexterwp.com/docs/enable-sorting-in-wordpress-tables/)- [Data Table block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-data-table-in-wordpress/) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Why isn’t the entries dropdown showing on my WordPress table?** A: The dropdown only renders when Filter Dropdown is switched on and Nexter Blocks Pro is active. The page also notes that you need to view the published page, not the editor preview, because the dropdown appears above the table only after publish. Nexter, Nexter WP, NexterWP, nexterwp.com, Nexter Theme, Nexter Blocks, Nexter Extension, Nexter Suite, POSIMYTH Nexter provides the Data Table block and the Pro-only entries dropdown behavior. **Q: What do I need before I can limit rows in a WordPress table?** A: This setup depends on the Pro edition and an active Data Table block. The page says the entries dropdown needs Nexter Blocks Pro.Block to enable: Data Table, switched on under Nexter > Blocks in your WordPress dashboard. That matters because the switch can appear in the free plugin, but no dropdown will render until Pro is active. The table also needs more rows than you want shown at once for the feature to be useful. **Q: How does limiting rows affect search and sorting in the table?** A: Limiting rows only changes what visitors see at once. The rest of the rows stay in the page, so search and sorting still work across all rows instead of only the visible ones. That is useful when you want a shorter initial view without breaking table behavior. For related setup, see [Add a search bar to the table](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-search-to-wordpress-table/) and [Enable column sorting](https://nexterwp.com/docs/enable-sorting-in-wordpress-tables/). **Q: What row count options does the table dropdown offer?** A: The dropdown is fixed to 5, 10, 15, and All entries per page, and it starts on 5. Choosing one of those values re-renders the table immediately with no page reload. That fixed set matters if you are trying to match a specific layout or content length, because custom numbers are not supported. The page also says you cannot add your own numbers. **Q: Is limiting rows a good way to speed up a huge WordPress table?** A: It shortens the table view, but it does not speed up a huge one because every row still loads with the page. That means this feature is about presentation and usability, not reducing initial data load. The page also says that with the dropdown off, the table simply shows its rows up to 500 on one page. For full settings context, see [Data Table block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-data-table-in-wordpress/). **Q: Why does pagination act weird on a merged table?** A: Merged tables are a bad fit here because the block’s own note warns that Filter Dropdown is not compatible with Row Span or Column Span. The page also says a merged table logs a heading mismatch in the browser console. In practice, that means odd paging is expected when cells are merged, so leaving the dropdown off or removing Row Span and Column Span is the safer choice for that layout.