> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.markifact.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# List Datasets

> Retrieve all datasets in your Google BigQuery project to explore and manage your data organization.

**List Datasets** returns all datasets within a specific Google BigQuery project. Use this to explore your BigQuery structure, find available datasets, or dynamically select datasets for other operations.

***

## When to Use It

* Explore and inventory your BigQuery project structure
* Find available datasets before building data workflows
* Use it as AI Tool for AI Agents to understand your data organization

***

## Inputs

| Field       | Type   | Required | Description                                   |
| ----------- | ------ | -------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Project** | Select | Yes      | Google BigQuery project to list datasets from |
| **Limit**   | Number | No       | Maximum number of datasets to return (1-1000) |

***

## Outputs

| Output            | Description                                        |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Datasets List** | List of all datasets with names, IDs, and metadata |

***

## Credit Cost

1 credit per operation.

***

## Real-World Example

**BigQuery AI Agent:**

```
AI Agent → List Datasets → List Tables → Run Query
"Allow AI to discover all available datasets and then run SQL queries"
```

***

## Understanding Dataset Information

The returned data includes:

**Dataset Metadata:**

* Dataset ID and name
* Creation time and last modified date
* Location (region) information
* Access permissions and settings

**Useful for:**

* Understanding data organization
* Planning data architecture
* Identifying unused or outdated datasets
* Managing data governance and compliance

***

## FAQ

<Accordion title="What information do I get about each dataset?">
  You'll receive dataset ID, name, creation date, last modified date, location, and basic metadata. This helps you understand the structure and organization of your BigQuery project.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Does this show datasets I don't have access to?">
  No, you'll only see datasets that your connected Google account has permission to view. Hidden or restricted datasets won't appear in the results.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I use this to create new datasets?">
  No, this node only lists existing datasets. You'll need to create datasets through the BigQuery console or other BigQuery management tools.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How often should I run this for project monitoring?">
  For active projects, weekly or monthly dataset inventory can help with organization. For stable projects, quarterly reviews are usually sufficient.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What if I have many datasets and hit the limit?">
  You can increase the limit parameter up to 1000, or run multiple queries with different filters. Consider if you really need all datasets for your specific use case.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How does this help with data governance?">
  Regular dataset listing helps track data growth, identify unused datasets, and maintain organized data architecture. Export results to spreadsheets for governance documentation.
</Accordion>