pagination
The practice of dividing a large set of API results or data records into discrete, sequentially accessible pages to limit response size and improve performance.
Full Definition
In API documentation, pagination refers to the mechanism by which servers split large result sets into manageable chunks called pages, with each response including only a subset of results plus metadata (such as a cursor, offset, or page number) to retrieve subsequent pages. Common pagination strategies include offset-based, cursor-based, and keyset pagination. Editors working on API reference documentation must accurately describe the pagination parameters (e.g., `limit`, `offset`, `cursor`, `page`) and ensure that code samples correctly demonstrate iterating through pages. 'Pagination' should not be confused with its typesetting homonym, which refers to numbering the pages of a printed document — context will usually clarify which meaning applies, but editors should be alert to ambiguity.
Usage
Usage note: Disambiguate from the typesetting sense of 'pagination' when the document context spans both API and print/layout topics.
In Context
- "Use cursor-based pagination to retrieve the full list of transactions in multiple API calls." — API reference documentation
- "The author used 'pagination' to mean page numbering in the print layout section — clarify the distinction with a contextual note." — Editorial review note