Implement efficient pagination strategies for large datasets using offset/limit, cursor-based, and keyset pagination. Use when returning collections, managing large result sets, or optimizing query performance.

API Pagination Table of Contents [Overview]( overview) [When to Use]( when to use) [Quick Start]( quick start) [Reference Guides]( reference guides) [Best Practices]( best practices) Overview Implement scalable pagination strategies for handling large datasets with efficient querying, navigation, and performance optimization. When to Use Returning large collections of resources Implementing search results pagination Building infinite scroll interfaces Optimizing large dataset queries Managing memory in client applications Improving API response times Quick Start Minimal working example: Reference Guides Detailed implementations in the references/ directory: Guide Contents [Offset/Limit Pagination](references/offsetlimit pagination.md) Offset/Limit Pagination [Cursor Based Pagination](references/cursor based pagination.md) Cursor Based Pagination [Keyset Pagination](references/keyset pagination.md) Keyset Pagination [Search Pagination](references/search pagination.md) Search Pagination [Pagination Response Formats](references/pagination response formats.md) Pagination Response Formats [Python Pagination (SQLAlchemy)](references/python pagination sqlalchemy.md) Python Pagination (SQLAlchemy) Best Practices ✅ DO Use cursor pagination for large datasets Set reasonable maximum limits (e.g., 100) Include total count when feasible Provide navigation links Document pagination strategy Use indexed fields for sorting Cache pagination results when appropriate Handle edge cases (empty results) Implement consistent pagination formats Use keyset for extremely large datasets ❌ DON'T Use offset with billions of rows Allow unlimited page sizes Count rows for every request Paginate without sorting Change sort order mid pagination Use deep pagination without cursor Skip pagination for large datasets Expose database pagination directly Mix pagination strategies Ignore performance implications

api-pagination