Without pagination you return millions of records at once. Offset is simple but slow, cursor is fast but more complex.

Offset Pagination¶

– Simple, but slow on large tables SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY id LIMIT 20 OFFSET 1000; – DB must skip 1000 rows!

API¶

GET /api/products?page=51&limit=20

Cursor (Keyset) Pagination¶

– Fast even on millions of rows SELECT * FROM products WHERE id > :last_id – Cursor = last ID ORDER BY id LIMIT 20;

API response¶

{ “data”: […], “meta”: { “next_cursor”: “eyJpZCI6MTAyMH0=”, “has_more”: true } }

When to Use Which¶

• Offset: Admin panels, small datasets, need ‘go to page X’
• Cursor: Feeds, infinite scroll, real-time data, large datasets

Key Takeaway¶

Cursor pagination for production (fast, stable). Offset only for admin/small datasets.