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For a diagram $D:\mathcal{J}\to \mathcal{C}$, a limit-preserving functor carries every limiting cone over a diagram to a limiting categorical cone. A limit-reflecting functor has the converse property: a categorical cone is limiting whenever its image is limiting. A limit-creating functor uniquely lifts every specified limiting categorical cone over the image diagram to a categorical cone over $D$, and the lift is limiting. These definitions concern diagrams of the stipulated shape; creation includes the lifting requirement, not merely reflection.

Let $(L,(p_j))$ be a categorical limit of $D$. The mapis a bijection: the right side consists exactly of compatible families of arrows from $A$, and the categorical limit's universal property gives their unique factorization through $L$. The bijection is induced by the categorical limit projections, so it proves that covariant representables preserve limits, including the empty diagram and its terminal object.

Let $U\cong \mathcal{C}(R,-)$ be a representable functor, and let $(L,p_j)$ be the categorical limit of a small diagram $D:J\to \mathcal{C}$. A morphism $R\to L$ is uniquely equivalent to a family $f_j:R\to D(j)$ satisfying $D(u)f_j=f_k$ for every $u:j\to k$.

Such compatible families are exactly the elements of the categorical limit of the set-valued diagram $\mathcal{C}(R,D(-))$. Consequently the canonical comparisonis a bijection. Transporting it through the representing natural isomorphism proves that $U$ preserves every small limit that exists in $\mathcal{C}$. This proves that covariant representables preserve limits. For an empty diagram this says that maps into a terminal object form a singleton.