specifies the maximum size in bytes of expressions that will be stored in displayed summary boxes, datasets and other compact outputs.
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit
specifies the maximum size in bytes of expressions that will be stored in displayed summary boxes, datasets and other compact outputs.
Details
- Summary boxes, which display the function name, an icon and key properties instead of the complete expression, are used by functions such as SparseArray, TimeSeries and InterpolatingFunction.
- Expressions smaller than $NotebookInlineStorageLimit contain a full copy of the expression and can be reused as input.
- Expressions larger than $NotebookInlineStorageLimit have summary boxes that do not contain a full copy of the expression, but provide an interface for storing the expression for later reuse.
- The expression can only be embedded in the notebook while the kernel session that created it is still running and has a reference to the expression, either in a variable or Out[n].
- For compatibility with versions of the Wolfram Language prior to Version 12.1, the value of $NotebookInlineStorageLimit can also be accessed using $SummaryBoxDataSizeLimit.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (2)
$NotebookInlineStorageLimitThe byte count of this sparse array is less than this limit:
ByteCount[SparseArray[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]] < $NotebookInlineStorageLimitTherefore, the following summary box contains the complete expression:
SparseArray[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]This summary box can be copied and used as input:
Total[SparseArray[Automatic, {5}, 0, {1, {{0, 5}, {{1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, {5}}}, {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}}]]Set $NotebookInlineStorageLimit to a small value:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 100;The byte count of this sparse array is greater than this limit:
ByteCount[SparseArray[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]] < $NotebookInlineStorageLimitTherefore, the summary box does not store the expression, but provides an interface to do so:
SparseArray[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]This version of the summary box cannot be used as input by simply copying it:
Total[SparseArray[<5>, {5}]]Copying the summary and box and clicking the Store now button will create a usable input:
Total[SparseArray[Automatic, {5}, 0, {1, {{0, 5}, {{1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, {5}}}, {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}}]]Restore the default value of $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 2 ^ 20Scope (5)
Dataset respects $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
{Dataset[RandomInteger[1, {5, 2}]], Dataset[RandomInteger[1, {20000, 8}], MaxItems -> 5]}Check the byte count of each expression:
ByteCount /@ %Numerical functions such as InterpolatingFunction respect $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
{Interpolation[Range[10 ^ 2]], Interpolation[Range[10 ^ 5]]}Check the byte count of each expression:
ByteCount /@ %NearestFunction behaves similarly:
{Nearest[RandomReal[10, {1000, 3}]], Nearest[Flatten@ImagePartition[[image], 6]]}ByteCount /@ %Array types that produce summary boxes respect $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
{SparseArray[Range[10 ^ 5]], SparseArray[RandomVariate[BinomialDistribution[1, 0.05], {10 ^ 5}]]}Check the byte count of each expression:
ByteCount /@ %Structured arrays behave similarly:
{SymmetrizedArray[{{0, 5, 10}, {-5, 0, -7}, {-10, 7, 0}}], SymmetrizedArray[IdentityMatrix[10 ^ 4, SparseArray]]}ByteCount /@ %Statistical functions such as TimeSeries respect $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
{TimeSeries[RandomFunction[WienerProcess[], {0., 15, 0.0001}]], ExampleData[{"Statistics", "AirlinePassengerMiles"}, "TimeSeries"]}Check the byte count of each expression:
ByteCount /@ %WeightedData behaves similarly:
{WeightedData[{{1, 2}, {4, 5}, {5, 6}, {7, 3}}, {0.5, 0.25, 0.1, 1}], WeightedData[#, # ^ 2]&[RandomVariate[NormalDistribution[0, 1], 10 ^ 5]]}ByteCount /@ %GeoPosition respects $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
{GeoPosition[RandomReal[{-90, 90}, {100, 2}]], GeoPosition[RandomReal[{-90, 90}, {100000, 2}]]}Check the byte count of each expression:
ByteCount /@ %Applications (2)
Save space in notebooks by setting $NotebookInlineStorageLimit to zero:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 0Create a summary box, which will not contain the expression, and save a reference to the cell in c1:
DynamicWrapper[if = Interpolation[RandomReal[10, 500]], c1 = EvaluationCell[]]Restore the default value of $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 2 ^ 20Recreate the summary box for if, which now has the expression in it, and save a reference in c2:
DynamicWrapper[if, c2 = EvaluationCell[]]Output cell c1 is about nine and a half kilobytes smaller than output cell c2:
ByteCount[NotebookRead[c2]] - ByteCount[NotebookRead[c1]]Save memory in a kernel session by setting $HistoryLength to zero:
$HistoryLength = 0;Create a large summary box, which will not be saved in the notebook:
RandomFunction[BinomialProcess[1 / 3], {0, 50000}, 3]Because there is no reference to the output, the Store now button cannot work:
ByteCount[TemporalData[<<3>>]]Create another summary box, but save the result in the variable data:
data = RandomFunction[BinomialProcess[1 / 3], {0, 50000}, 3]As long as data is not reset, the Store now button will continue to work:
ByteCount[TemporalData[«4»]]Verify that the data was in fact larger than $NotebookInlineStorageLimit:
ByteCount[data] > $NotebookInlineStorageLimitRestore the default values of $HistoryLength:
$HistoryLength = ∞;Properties & Relations (1)
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit only affects summary boxes:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 0;Range[150]EventSeries[{1, 5, 11, 19}]$OutputSizeLimit affects all outputs:
$NotebookInlineStorageLimit = 2 ^ 20;
$OutputSizeLimit = 0;Range[150]EventSeries[{1, 5, 11, 19}]$OutputSizeLimit = 2 ^ 20;Related Guides
History
Text
Wolfram Research (2020), $NotebookInlineStorageLimit, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$NotebookInlineStorageLimit.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2020. "$NotebookInlineStorageLimit." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$NotebookInlineStorageLimit.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2020). $NotebookInlineStorageLimit. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$NotebookInlineStorageLimit.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_$notebookinlinestoragelimit, author="Wolfram Research", title="{$NotebookInlineStorageLimit}", year="2020", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$NotebookInlineStorageLimit.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_$notebookinlinestoragelimit, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={$NotebookInlineStorageLimit}, year={2020}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$NotebookInlineStorageLimit.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}