junegunn/fzf · warning

%s too large (max: %d%%)

Error message

%s too large (max: %d%%)

What it means

A size option given as a percentage exceeded the allowed maximum for that option. parseSize caps percent-form values (e.g. 100 for --height, smaller caps for other size options), and this error reports which label (height, preview size, margin, etc.) overshot and by what cap.

Source

Thrown at src/options.go:2239

func strLines(str string) []string {
	return strings.Split(strings.TrimSuffix(str, "\n"), "\n")
}

func parseSize(str string, maxPercent float64, label string) (sizeSpec, error) {
	var spec = sizeSpec{}
	var val float64
	var err error
	percent := strings.HasSuffix(str, "%")
	if percent {
		if val, err = atof(str[:len(str)-1]); err != nil {
			return spec, err
		}

		if val < 0 {
			return spec, errors.New(label + " must be non-negative")
		}
		if val > maxPercent {
			return spec, fmt.Errorf("%s too large (max: %d%%)", label, int(maxPercent))
		}
	} else {
		if strings.Contains(str, ".") {
			return spec, errors.New(label + " (without %) must be a non-negative integer")
		}

		i, err := atoi(str)
		if err != nil {
			return spec, err
		}
		val = float64(i)
		if val < 0 {
			return spec, errors.New(label + " must be non-negative")
		}
	}
	return sizeSpec{val, percent}, nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to bd4efa277b)

Solutions

1. Lower the percentage to at or below the cap shown in the message (e.g. --height=100% is the max)
2. If you want more room, switch to the lines form which has no percent cap: --height=40 (or --height=~40% for auto)
3. Validate computed values before invoking fzf in your script

Example fix

# before
fzf --height=150%
# after
fzf --height=100%
# or use lines
fzf --height=40

# clamp computed percentage before invoking fzf
pct=$(( lines * 100 / total ))
[ "$pct" -gt 100 ] && pct=100
fzf --height="${pct}%"

When it happens

Trigger: Passing e.g. --height=150% (max 100), or a --preview-window size / margin value above its percent cap; any parseSize call where the numeric value before '%' is greater than the maxPercent argument.

Common situations: Scripts computing heights dynamically (N% based on terminal lines) and forgetting the percent-mode cap; copy-paste of a size meant for a different option; confusion between lines and percent forms.

Related errors

• minimum height must be a non-negative integer
• invalid format: ${str}
• every() requires a positive number of seconds
• every() interval is too large
• at least one of 'file' or 'dir' should be specified

AI-assisted analysis of junegunn/fzf@bd4efa277b (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/69ed9a29ed71d9d0. Report an issue: GitHub.