Offset vs Cursor Pagination: Strategies for Better Data Handling

Pagination is a crucial technique in web development, enabling the efficient retrieval and display of large datasets in manageable chunks. However, choosing the right pagination strategy can significantly impact your application’s performance and user experience. In this article, we dive into two popular methods—Normal Pagination and Cursor-Based Pagination—to help you determine which approach best fits your needs.

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Understanding Normal Pagination

Normal pagination, often referred to as offset-based pagination, uses an offset and limit mechanism to fetch data. Developers commonly use this method in SQL queries:

SELECT * FROM posts LIMIT 10 OFFSET 30;

Here, the query fetches 10 records starting from the 31st record. This approach is intuitive and widely adopted across web applications.

Real-World Scenario

Imagine an e-commerce website where users browse products. Normal pagination allows customers to navigate pages effortlessly by showing them numbered page links (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ...).

Pros of Normal Pagination

• Simplicity: Easy to implement and understand.

• Flexibility: Users can jump to any page by specifying the offset.

• Universal: Works seamlessly with traditional databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL.

Cons of Normal Pagination

• Performance Bottlenecks: As the offset grows, the database scans more rows, leading to slower queries.

• Inconsistency: Data updates (inserts or deletes) during pagination can cause records to shift, leading to duplicated or skipped results.

• Limited Scalability: Unsuitable for systems with rapidly growing datasets or real-time data.

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Understanding Cursor-Based Pagination

Cursor-based pagination, also known as keyset pagination, relies on a unique identifier (cursor) from the last record of the previous page. It fetches subsequent records using this cursor, eliminating the need for offsets. Here’s how it looks in practice:

SELECT * FROM posts WHERE id > 30 LIMIT 10;

Or, using a createdAt timestamp field in conjunction with the ID for more precise ordering:

SELECT * FROM posts WHERE (createdAt > '2023-01-01 10:00:00') 
   OR (createdAt = '2023-01-01 10:00:00' AND id > 30)
LIMIT 10;

This approach ensures consistent ordering, especially when multiple records share the same timestamp.

Real-World Scenario

Consider a social media feed that updates in real time. Cursor-based pagination ensures users see new posts without disrupting the sequence.

Pros of Cursor-Based Pagination

• High Performance: Efficiently handles large datasets by leveraging indexed fields.

• Consistency: Avoids issues like skipped or duplicated data when records are updated during pagination.

• Real-Time Data: Ideal for use cases where freshness and accuracy are critical, such as live feeds or chat applications.

Cons of Cursor-Based Pagination

• Complexity: Requires more effort to implement compared to offset-based pagination.

• Limited Flexibility: Users can only navigate forward or backward and cannot directly jump to a specific page.

• Dependent on Data Schema: Relies on unique, sequential identifiers for proper functionality.

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Which Method is Better and Why?

The choice between normal and cursor-based pagination depends on your application’s requirements:

• Choose Normal Pagination if simplicity and user-friendly navigation are priorities, and the dataset is relatively small or static.

• Choose Cursor-Based Pagination for high-performance systems handling large datasets or real-time data, where accuracy and speed are critical.

In scenarios where scalability and consistency outweigh simplicity—such as social media platforms, stock trading apps, or messaging systems—cursor-based pagination is the superior choice.

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Unique Value Proposition

By understanding the trade-offs between these two pagination methods, you can enhance both performance and user satisfaction in your application. Leveraging the right technique ensures your users get a seamless experience, even as your data grows.

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Conclusion

Ready to optimize your application’s performance? Whether you’re building a scalable social media app or refining your e-commerce platform, the right pagination strategy can make all the difference. Share your thoughts or challenges with pagination in the comments below, or subscribe to The Code Bytes for more practical insights into web development. Let’s build smarter together!

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Thank You!

Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, please share it with your network and stay tuned for more insights on software development. I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn or have you follow my journey on HashNode for regular updates.

Happy Coding!
Darshit Anjaria