db.collection.countDocuments()
On this page
MongoDB with drivers
This page documents a mongosh method. To see the equivalent
method in a MongoDB driver, see the corresponding page for your
programming language:
Definition
db.collection.countDocuments(query, options)Returns an integer for the number of documents that match the query of the collection or view. This method is available for use in Transactions.
Compatibility
This method is available in deployments hosted in the following environments:
MongoDB Atlas: The fully managed service for MongoDB deployments in the cloud
Note
This command is supported in all MongoDB Atlas clusters. For information on Atlas support for all commands, see Unsupported Commands.
MongoDB Enterprise: The subscription-based, self-managed version of MongoDB
MongoDB Community: The source-available, free-to-use, and self-managed version of MongoDB
Syntax
The countDocuments() method has the following form:
db.collection.countDocuments( <query>, <options> )
The countDocuments() method takes the following
parameters:
Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
query | document | The query selection criteria. To count all documents, specify an empty document. See also Query Restrictions. |
options | document | Optional. Extra options that affects the count behavior. |
The options document can contain the following:
Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| integer | Optional. The maximum number of documents to count. |
| integer | Optional. The number of documents to skip before counting. |
| string or document | Optional. An index name or the index specification to use for the query. |
| integer | Optional. The maximum amount of time to allow the count to run. |
Behavior
Mechanics
Unlike db.collection.count(),
db.collection.countDocuments() does not use the metadata to
return the count. Instead, it performs an aggregation of the document
to return an accurate count, even after an unclean shutdown or in the
presence of orphaned documents in a sharded
cluster.
db.collection.countDocuments() wraps the following
aggregation operation and returns just the value of n:
db.collection.aggregate([ { $match: <query> }, { $group: { _id: null, n: { $sum: 1 } } } ])
Empty or Non-Existing Collections and Views
db.collection.countDocuments() returns 0 on an empty or
non-existing collection or view.
Query Restrictions
You cannot use the following query operators as part of the query
expression for db.collection.countDocuments():
Restricted Operator | Alternative | |
|---|---|---|
As an alternative, use | ||
As an alternative, use | ||
As an alternative, use |
Transactions
db.collection.countDocuments() can be used inside distributed transactions.
When you use db.collection.countDocuments() in a transaction, the resulting count will
not filter out any uncommitted multi-document transactions.
Important
In most cases, a distributed transaction incurs a greater performance cost over single document writes, and the availability of distributed transactions should not be a replacement for effective schema design. For many scenarios, the denormalized data model (embedded documents and arrays) will continue to be optimal for your data and use cases. That is, for many scenarios, modeling your data appropriately will minimize the need for distributed transactions.
For additional transactions usage considerations (such as runtime limit and oplog size limit), see also Production Considerations.
Client Disconnection
Starting in MongoDB 4.2, if the client that issued db.collection.countDocuments()
disconnects before the operation completes, MongoDB marks db.collection.countDocuments()
for termination using killOp.
Examples
Count all Documents in a Collection
To count the number of documents in the orders collection, use the
following operation:
db.orders.countDocuments( {}, { hint: "_id_"} )
Note
If you use db.collection.countDocuments() with an empty query
filter, MongoDB performs a full collection scan which can be
inefficient. To improve performance, this example specifies a
hint() to use the automatically generated _id
index. Alternatively, you can use a query filter that finds all
documents such as { "_id": { $gte: MinKey } } to count all
documents using an index.
Count all Documents that Match a Query
Count the number of the documents in the orders
collection with the field ord_dt greater than new
Date('01/01/2012'):
db.orders.countDocuments( { ord_dt: { $gt: new Date('01/01/2012') } }, { limit: 100 } )