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How to Change Select Top 1000 Rows and Edit Top 200 Rows Default Value in SQL Server Management Studio

Ashish Kumar Mehta
2 min read

How to Select Top 1000 Rows SQL Server

Starting SQL Server 2008, SSMS allows you to Select Top 1000 rows and Edit Top 200 rows. However, in the previous version of SSMS 2005, the only option was to open the entire table. Let us see how to alter select top 1000 rows and edit top 200 rows default value in SSMS.

This article explains how to edit top 1000 rows SQL Server

How to Change Select Top 1000 Rows in SQL Server
How to Change Select Top 1000 Rows in SQL Server

Steps to ALTER Select Top 1000 Rows and Edit Top 200 Rows Default Value in SQL Server Management Studio

1. Open SSMS, under Tools, click Options as shown in the snippet below.

Options Tab in SSMS
Options Tab in SSMS

2. To make the necessary changes within the Options Dialog box, Expand SQL Server Object Explorer -> Commands.

3. Specify the new value for Value for Edit Top Rows Command and Specify the Value for Select Top Rows Command. In the below example we have set the value as 50 for both options.

Value for Edit Top <n> Rows Command
Change Select Top 1000 Rows and Edit Top 200 Rows Default Value in SQL Server Management Studio



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4. Finally to save the changes click OK to save the changes to SSMS configuration.

5. Once you have made the above mentioned changes right click the table to see the changes as shown in the snippet below.

Select Top n Rows and Edit Top n Rows Default Value in SQL Server Management Studio
Select Top n Rows and Edit Top n Rows Default Value in SQL Server Management Studio

Ashish Kumar Mehta

Ashish Kumar Mehta is a distinguished Database Architect, Manager, and Technical Author with over two decades of hands-on IT experience. A recognized expert in the SQL Server ecosystem, Ashish’s expertise spans the entire evolution of the platform—from SQL Server 2000 to the cutting-edge SQL Server 2025.

Throughout his career, Ashish has authored 500+ technical articles across leading technology portals, establishing himself as a global voice in Database Administration (DBA), performance tuning, and cloud-native database modernization. His deep technical mastery extends beyond on-premises environments into the cloud, with a specialized focus on Google Cloud (GCP), AWS, and PostgreSQL.

As a consultant and project lead, he has architected and delivered high-stakes database infrastructure, data warehousing, and global migration projects for industry giants, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Cognizant, and Centrica PLC (UK) / British Gas.

Ashish holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering and maintains an elite tier of industry certifications, including MCITP (Database Administrator), MCDBA (SQL Server 2000), and MCTS. His unique "Mantra" approach to technical training and documentation continues to help thousands of DBAs worldwide navigate the complexities of modern database management.

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