---
title: show_chunks() | Tiger Data Docs
description: Show the chunks belonging to a hypertable
---

Since [0.9.0](https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/releases/tag/0.9.0)

Get the list of chunks associated with a hypertable. This function accepts the same arguments as [`drop_chunks`](/docs/reference/timescaledb/hypertables/drop_chunks/index.md).

## Samples

- **Get the list of all chunks associated with a table**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('conditions');
  ```

- **For hypertables with mixed-case names, include double quotes within the string literal**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('"MyMixedCaseTable"');
  ```

- **Or with schema qualification**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('public."MyMixedCaseTable"');
  ```

- **Get all chunks from the hypertable called `conditions` that are older than 3 months**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('conditions', older_than => INTERVAL '3 months');
  ```

- **Get all chunks from the hypertable called `conditions` created earlier than 3 months before**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('conditions', created_before => INTERVAL '3 months');
  ```

- **Get all chunks from the hypertable `conditions` created in the previous month**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('conditions', created_after => INTERVAL '1 month');
  ```

- **Get all chunks from the hypertable `conditions` created before 2017**:

  ```
  SELECT show_chunks('conditions', older_than => DATE '2017-01-01');
  ```

## Arguments

The syntax is:

```
SELECT show_chunks(
    relation = '<hypertable_or_cagg_name>',
    older_than = <interval>,
    newer_than = <interval>,
    created_before = <interval>,
    created_after = <interval>
);
```

| Name             | Type     | Default | Required | Description                                                                                    |
| ---------------- | -------- | ------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `relation`       | REGCLASS | -       | ✔        | Hypertable or continuous aggregate from which to select chunks.                                |
| `older_than`     | ANY      | -       | ✖        | Specification of cut-off point where any chunks older than this timestamp should be shown.     |
| `newer_than`     | ANY      | -       | ✖        | Specification of cut-off point where any chunks newer than this timestamp should be shown.     |
| `created_before` | ANY      | -       | ✖        | Specification of cut-off point where any chunks created before this timestamp should be shown. |
| `created_after`  | ANY      | -       | ✖        | Specification of cut-off point where any chunks created after this timestamp should be shown.  |

The `older_than` and `newer_than` parameters can be specified in two ways:

- **interval type:** The cut-off point is computed as `now() - older_than` and similarly `now() - newer_than`. An error is returned if an INTERVAL is supplied and the time column is not one of a TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMPTZ, or DATE.

- **timestamp, date, or integer type:** The cut-off point is explicitly given as a TIMESTAMP / TIMESTAMPTZ / DATE or as a SMALLINT / INT / BIGINT. The choice of timestamp or integer must follow the type of the hypertable‘s time column.

The `created_before` and `created_after` parameters can be specified in two ways:

- **interval type:** The cut-off point is computed as `now() - created_before` and similarly `now() - created_after`. This uses the chunk creation time for the filtering.

- **timestamp, date, or integer type:** The cut-off point is explicitly given as a `TIMESTAMP` / `TIMESTAMPTZ` / `DATE` or as a `SMALLINT` / `INT` / `BIGINT`. The choice of integer value must follow the type of the hypertable‘s partitioning column. Otherwise the chunk creation time is used for the filtering.

When both `older_than` and `newer_than` arguments are used, the function returns the intersection of the resulting two ranges. For example, specifying `newer_than => 4 months` and `older_than => 3 months` shows all chunks between 3 and 4 months old. Similarly, specifying `newer_than => '2017-01-01'` and `older_than => '2017-02-01'` shows all chunks between ‘2017-01-01’ and ‘2017-02-01’. Specifying parameters that do not result in an overlapping intersection between two ranges results in an error.

When both `created_before` and `created_after` arguments are used, the function returns the intersection of the resulting two ranges. For example, specifying `created_after => 4 months` and `created_before => 3 months` shows all chunks created between 3 and 4 months from now. Similarly, specifying `created_after => '2017-01-01'` and `created_before => '2017-02-01'` shows all chunks created between ‘2017-01-01’ and ‘2017-02-01’. Specifying parameters that do not result in an overlapping intersection between two ranges results in an error.

Note

The `created_before`/`created_after` parameters cannot be used together with `older_than`/`newer_than`.

## Returns

| Column       | Type     | Description                             |
| ------------ | -------- | --------------------------------------- |
| show\_chunks | REGCLASS | Name of the chunk matching the criteria |

This function returns a set of rows, one for each chunk that matches the specified criteria.

On failure, an error is returned:

| Error                                        | Description                                                                    |
| -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `invalid hypertable or continuous aggregate` | The specified relation is not a valid hypertable or continuous aggregate       |
| `invalid time range`                         | The specified time range parameters do not result in a valid overlapping range |