How to Implement API Pagination in Node.js (2026 Guide)

As of February 2026, APIs handle more data than ever. Whether you are building a SaaS platform, a mobile app backend, or a public API service, pagination is not optional — it is essential for performance, user experience, and cost control.

Offset-Based Pagination

Offset pagination uses limit and offset parameters.

app.get("/api/users", async (req, res) => {
  const limit = Math.min(parseInt(req.query.limit) || 10, 100);
  const offset = parseInt(req.query.offset) || 0;

  const [users, total] = await Promise.all([
    db.user.findMany({ take: limit, skip: offset, orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' } }),
    db.user.count(),
  ]);

  res.json({ data: users, pagination: { total, limit, offset, hasMore: offset + limit < total } });
});

Pros: Easy to implement, bookmarkable URLs
Cons: Slow with large offsets, inconsistent with changing data

Cursor-Based Pagination

Cursor pagination uses an opaque cursor for better performance at scale.

app.get("/api/users", async (req, res) => {
  const limit = Math.min(parseInt(req.query.limit) || 10, 100);
  const cursor = req.query.cursor ? { id: Buffer.from(req.query.cursor, 'base64').toString() } : undefined;

  const users = await db.user.findMany({
    take: limit + 1,
    cursor: cursor ? { id: cursor } : undefined,
    skip: cursor ? 1 : 0,
    orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' }
  });

  const hasMore = users.length > limit;
  const data = hasMore ? users.slice(0, -1) : users;
  const nextCursor = hasMore ? Buffer.from(users[users.length - 2].id).toString('base64') : null;

  res.json({ data, pagination: { hasMore, nextCursor } });
});

Pros: Consistent performance, works great with real-time data
Cons: Cannot jump to specific pages

Keyset Pagination (Twitter/Facebook style)

app.get("/api/users", async (req, res) => {
  const limit = parseInt(req.query.limit) || 10;
  const lastCreatedAt = req.query.before ? new Date(req.query.before) : new Date();

  const users = await db.user.findMany({
    take: limit + 1,
    where: { createdAt: { lt: lastCreatedAt } },
    orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' }
  });

  const hasMore = users.length > limit;
  res.json({ data: hasMore ? users.slice(0, -1) : users, pagination: { hasMore } });
});

Pro Tips for 2026

1. Always return metadata (total, hasMore)
2. Set sensible defaults (limit: 10-20, max: 100)
3. Validate inputs
4. Document pagination in your OpenAPI spec

When to Use What

• Small datasets (<10k rows): Offset pagination
• Large datasets / real-time: Cursor pagination
• Infinite scroll / feeds: Keyset pagination
• Analytics / reports: Offset with totals

---

Ready to build high-performance APIs? At 1xAPI, we provide production-ready APIs for football data, movies, and more.