Pagination

Definitions

1. Breaking large result sets into smaller pages returned one at a time. Offset-based (page=3&per_page=20) is simple but slow for deep pages. Cursor-based (after=abc123) uses an opaque token for the next page, offering consistent performance regardless of depth. Keyset pagination is the performant database pattern behind cursor-based APIs.

   In plain English: Returning large lists of data in small chunks (pages) instead of all at once, so APIs stay fast.

   Example: "Switch from offset to cursor-based pagination — page 10,000 was doing a full table scan with OFFSET 200000."

Related Terms

• A/B Testing
• Accessibility
• Protocol Buffers
• Rate Limiter
• Intersection Observer
• Skeleton Screen
• Cumulative Layout Shift
• Progressive Loading
• Web Vitals