Splunk Search

subsearch default time range

caphrim007
Path Finder

Are sub-searches, by default, constrained to the time range that is currently in the picker? Or are they run over "all time" unless you specify a range such as earliest=-24h latest=now?

I can't tell just by the speed of search execution because my search + subsearch appears to take a while to complete.

Tags (2)
1 Solution

ftk
Motivator

I believe that unless you specify earliest and latest, subsearches are run over the time range chosen in the time picker, but will only run for as long as the maxtime setting in limits.conf specifies.

Section of limits.conf:

[subsearch]
maxout = <integer>
* Maximum number of results to return from a subsearch.
* Defaults to 100.

maxtime = <integer>
* Maximum number of seconds to run a subsearch before finalizing
* Defaults to 60.

ttl = <integer>
* Time to cache a given subsearch's results.
* Defaults to 300.

View solution in original post

Stephen_Sorkin
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

Subsearches are run with the same time range as the time picker selects (which are passed as an API parameter to the search). If you set a time range in the search string, say with earliest=..., it will not be used by the subsearch, only the API parameter.

rmenon7
New Member

Is there any way then to get my subsearch to have a different time-range than the main search ?

As you explained the earliest and latest doesn't work for me . Is there a way to set the API parameter for example ?

0 Karma

nikos_d
Explorer

I have exactly the same question. How can I pass these parameters to the API? What is the syntax? Where is the documentation?

Thanks!

0 Karma

ftk
Motivator

I believe that unless you specify earliest and latest, subsearches are run over the time range chosen in the time picker, but will only run for as long as the maxtime setting in limits.conf specifies.

Section of limits.conf:

[subsearch]
maxout = <integer>
* Maximum number of results to return from a subsearch.
* Defaults to 100.

maxtime = <integer>
* Maximum number of seconds to run a subsearch before finalizing
* Defaults to 60.

ttl = <integer>
* Time to cache a given subsearch's results.
* Defaults to 300.
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Index This | What travels the world but is also stuck in place?

April 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this ...

Discover New Use Cases: Unlock Greater Value from Your Existing Splunk Data

Realizing the full potential of your Splunk investment requires more than just understanding current usage; it ...

Continue Your Journey: Join Session 2 of the Data Management and Federation Bootcamp ...

As data volumes continue to grow and environments become more distributed, managing and optimizing data ...