SQL queries timeout when missing timestamp filter

Summary

Issue: SQL queries using project_logs() time out when scanning large datasets without timestamp constraints, even with other filters applied.

Cause: Without timestamp filters, queries can scan the entire project history regardless of other WHERE conditions.

Resolution: Add a timestamp filter using created or another timestamp column to limit the scan range.

Resolution Steps

Add timestamp filter to your query

Step 1: Add created timestamp constraint

Add a created filter to your WHERE clause before other conditions.

SELECT *
FROM project_logs('proj_12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012')
WHERE 
  created > now() - interval '7 days' AND
  metadata.session_id = 'sess_12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012' AND
  span_attributes.name = 'Model Call'
LIMIT 100

Step 2: Adjust time range as needed

Modify the interval based on your investigation needs: '1 day', '30 days', etc.

Best practices for project_logs queries

Always include timestamp filters

This is a required best practice for acceptable query performance, not an optional optimization.

Start with narrow time ranges

Begin with shorter intervals (e.g., '1 day') and expand only if necessary.

Use specific date ranges for known timeframes

For specific investigations, use explicit date boundaries.

WHERE created BETWEEN '2024-01-01' AND '2024-01-31'