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A pagination function divides a large result set into smaller batches so an application can display or fetch only part of it at a time. There is no single universal pagination function: databases, frameworks, APIs, and content platforms use different parameters and response formats. The right approach depends mainly on whether people need numbered-page jumps or will move through results sequentially.

What does a pagination function do?

Pagination limits how many records an application returns or displays in one batch and identifies where that batch belongs in the larger collection. A request might include a page number, an offset and limit, or a continuation marker. The response may include links, a token, or an opaque cursor for retrieving more results. Parameter names and behavior are defined by the system, not by a universal standard.

For example, the Cursor Origin API uses pageSize and pageToken. Its documented default page size is 30 and its maximum is 100; its continuation tokens are opaque and tied to the originating resource and filters. Those rules apply to that API, not to pagination generally. See the Cursor Origin API documentation.

How does pagination work in an API or database?

A client requests a subset, the server returns that subset, and the client uses the system’s documented navigation information to request another one. In SQL-like terms, an offset query skips a number of matching rows and limits the number returned. A cursor-based request instead continues from a position in an ordered result set.

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Keep the query’s filters and ordering consistent as you navigate. Follow the API’s next link or continuation token as documented; do not try to decode or construct an opaque token unless the API explicitly supports that. A token from one API is not interchangeable with another API’s cursor or page token.

Offset vs. cursor pagination

Approach How it identifies a batch Useful when Trade-offs
Page number or offset A page index, or a count of matching results to skip plus a limit. Users need numbered navigation or to jump to a particular page. Deep offsets can take longer because the database may scan earlier results. Inserts or deletions during navigation can shift boundaries, causing records to be skipped or repeated.
Cursor A position in an ordered result set, commonly passed as a cursor or continuation token. Users move forward or backward through results, or load more results without jumping to a numbered page. Requires an appropriate stable ordering. It does not inherently support arbitrary numbered-page jumps, and cursor formats and constraints vary by implementation.

Offset or page-number pagination

Offset pagination is straightforward for numbered navigation: the application calculates how many matching records precede the requested page and asks for the next batch. However, skipping a large number of records may cost more than fetching an early page. MongoDB’s manual explains that skip() scans from the beginning of the input result set before returning documents, so larger offsets take longer. See MongoDB’s cursor.skip() documentation.

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Offset navigation can also be inconsistent when the collection changes between requests. If a new record is inserted before the current offset, later pages can shift; deletions can shift them in the other direction. Laravel documents this risk for offset pagination in its Laravel 13.x pagination guide.

Cursor pagination

Cursor pagination continues from an ordered position rather than counting all earlier records. Laravel describes its cursor paginator as comparing ordered column values with where clauses and notes that indexed ordering columns can make it a better fit for large datasets. Cursor pagination requires a unique column or unique combination for its ordering; Laravel’s implementation does not support null values in ordered columns. It also does not generate numbered-page links.

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If the primary sort value is not unique, use a unique tie-breaker as part of the ordering when the implementation permits it. Without a sufficiently unique, stable ordering, records at a boundary can be ambiguous. Consult the framework or API documentation for the precise cursor requirements.

How to choose a pagination strategy

  • Choose page numbers or offsets when users need to jump directly to a numbered page and the expected offsets are modest.
  • Consider cursors for sequential traversal through large results, especially where the framework can use indexed, uniquely ordered columns.
  • Check how data changes while users navigate. Frequent inserts or deletions can make offset boundaries move.
  • Verify ordering and add a unique tie-breaker if necessary and supported.
  • Follow the contract for page size, maximum size, token reuse, filters, and next-page links in the specific API or framework.

No approach is best for every database or interface. Compare navigation needs, expected depth, write activity, ordering guarantees, and the API’s documented contract before choosing.

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Pagination examples in common systems

Laravel

Laravel 13.x documents paginate, simplePaginate, and cursorPaginate. Its cursor paginator is an option for large datasets with indexed ordered columns, but it does not provide numbered-page links and has ordering constraints. The framework guide explains the differences at Laravel’s pagination documentation.

GraphQL connections

GraphQL connection APIs commonly expose edges and pageInfo. A common convention uses first with after to move forward, or last with before to move backward. These are conventions used by connection-style APIs, not universal GraphQL requirements. See Spring GraphQL’s request execution documentation and API Platform’s GraphQL documentation.

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WordPress post lists

WordPress provides functions for previous/next and numbered pagination of post lists. Its paginate_links() function can also be configured for other areas. These are WordPress-specific functions, not built-in general-purpose functions in every programming language. See the WordPress Theme Handbook and the paginate_links() reference.

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