When SharePoint constructs the list forms, all the fields available for the list item are retrieved from the database. Lists with a large number of Lookup columns might result in complex and potentially intensive SQL statements. SharePoint will verify the length of the full SQL statement and will display the following error message when the maximum-allowed length was exceeded: 

"The list item could not be displayed/added because the length of the fields was too long. Please shorten the new entries or remove some fields from this list." 

To address this issue please reduce the number of columns of the specific list. 

Notes: 

  • In addition to standard lookup columns, single-value managed metadata, multiple-value managed metadata, single-value people and group columns, and multiple-value people and group columns all count as lookup columns. 

  • Each lookup column in a list view causes a join with another table. Each additional lookup column increases the complexity and inherently the size of the backend SQL query. 

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