OUT_OF_RANGE
GCP OUT_OF_RANGE means input is structurally valid but falls outside current valid bounds for the resource or iterator state.
Last reviewed: February 12, 2026|Editorial standard: source-backed technical guidance
What Does Out Of Range Mean?
Range-dependent reads or writes fail because requested positions exceed current valid limits, so callers must adjust bounds before continuing.
Common Causes
- -Offset, index, page token, or range exceeds current dataset bounds.
- -The request uses a state-dependent value that became invalid after data changes.
- -Client assumes static limits while the backend enforces dynamic limits.
- -Iteration logic does not stop at end-of-range boundaries.
How to Fix Out Of Range
- 1Read the current resource bounds before building range-based requests.
- 2Guard pagination and cursor logic against end-of-range conditions.
- 3Treat OUT_OF_RANGE as a terminal iterator signal where appropriate.
- 4Recompute offsets and limits after state changes instead of reusing stale values.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis for Out Of Range
- 1Capture failed request bounds (offsets, limits, cursor/page token) and current resource size metadata.
- 2Compare caller assumptions with live service-reported bounds before retrying.
- 3Validate iterator exit logic and cursor invalidation behavior after data mutation events.
- 4Retest with recomputed bounds and confirm pagination or range loop terminates correctly.
Live Bound and Cursor Validation
- -Query current bounds before each range request (example: object size changed between chunk reads, making old offset invalid).
- -Invalidate stale cursors after writes or compaction events (example: saved page token no longer valid after dataset mutation).
Iterator Termination Logic
- -Treat out-of-range as terminal where API semantics indicate end-of-sequence (example: scanner should stop instead of retrying same invalid cursor).
- -Differentiate from invalid-argument errors that are always bad regardless of state (example: negative offset should be fixed in client validation).
How to Verify the Fix
- -Replay range or pagination calls and confirm OUT_OF_RANGE is only seen at expected terminal boundaries.
- -Validate iterator loops now terminate gracefully without redundant retries.
- -Check data-processing jobs complete full scans without skipping or duplicating segments.
How to Prevent Recurrence
- -Compute range boundaries from live metadata instead of cached or hardcoded limits.
- -Implement cursor invalidation and restart rules after write-heavy operations.
- -Add contract tests for boundary transitions and end-of-sequence behavior.
Pro Tip
- -emit structured metrics for terminal OUT_OF_RANGE versus unexpected OUT_OF_RANGE to detect iterator regressions early.
Decision Support
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Playbook
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Official References
Provider Context
This guidance is specific to GCP services. Always validate implementation details against official provider documentation before deploying to production.