---
title: "Sorting Limitations | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "ODBC desktop database drivers [ODBC]"
  - "desktop database drivers [ODBC]"
ms.assetid: 2273e058-f6a3-4fc3-875f-e506cb1015ac
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# Sorting Limitations
The maximum length of a sort key in a GROUP BY clause, ORDER BY clause, SELECT DISTINCT statement, or outer join is 255 bytes; the maximum length of all sort keys in a sort row is 65,500 bytes.