---
name: "mongoc_collection_count"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libmongoc-doc"
version: "1.30.4-1+deb13u3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mongoc_collection_count"
---

# mongoc\_collection\_count(3)

**WARNING:**

Deprecated since version 1.11.0: Use *mongoc\_collection\_count\_documents()* or *mongoc\_collection\_estimated\_document\_count()* instead.

*mongoc\_collection\_count\_documents()* has similar performance to calling *mongoc\_collection\_count()* with a non-NULL **query**, and is guaranteed to retrieve an accurate collection count. See *migrating from deprecated count functions* for details.

*mongoc\_collection\_estimated\_document\_count()* has the same performance as calling *mongoc\_collection\_count()* with a NULL **query**, but is not guaranteed to retrieve an accurate collection count.

This function is considered a retryable read operation. Upon a transient error (a network error, errors due to replica set failover, etc.) the operation is safely retried once. If **retryreads** is false in the URI (see *mongoc\_uri\_t*) the retry behavior does not apply.

## SYNOPSIS

```
int64_t
mongoc_collection_count (mongoc_collection_t *collection,
                         mongoc_query_flags_t flags,
                         const bson_t *query,
                         int64_t skip,
                         int64_t limit,
                         const mongoc_read_prefs_t *read_prefs,
                         bson_error_t *error);
```

## PARAMETERS

- •

  **collection**: A *mongoc\_collection\_t*.

- •

  **flags**: A *mongoc\_query\_flags\_t*.

- •

  **query**: A *bson\_t* containing the query.

- •

  **skip**: A int64\_t, zero to ignore.

- •

  **limit**: A int64\_t, zero to ignore.

- •

  **read\_prefs**: A *mongoc\_read\_prefs\_t* or **NULL**.

- •

  **error**: An optional location for a *bson\_error\_t* or **NULL**.

## DESCRIPTION

This function shall execute a count query on the underlying 'collection'. The bson 'query' is not validated, simply passed along as appropriate to the server.  As such, compatibility and errors should be validated in the appropriate server documentation.

For more information, see the *query reference* at the MongoDB website.

The *mongoc\_read\_concern\_t* specified on the *mongoc\_collection\_t* will be used, if any. If **read\_prefs** is NULL, the collection's read preferences are used.

## ERRORS

Errors are propagated via the **error** parameter.

## RETURNS

\-1 on failure, otherwise the number of documents counted.

## EXAMPLE

```
#include <bson/bson.h>
#include <mongoc/mongoc.h>
#include <stdio.h>
static void
print_query_count (mongoc_collection_t *collection, bson_t *query)
{
   bson_error_t error;
   int64_t count;
   count = mongoc_collection_count (
      collection, MONGOC_QUERY_NONE, query, 0, 0, NULL, &error);
   if (count < 0) {
      fprintf (stderr, "Count failed: %s\n", error.message);
   } else {
      printf ("%" PRId64 " documents counted.\n", count);
   }
}
```

## AUTHOR

MongoDB, Inc

## COPYRIGHT

2009-present, MongoDB, Inc.