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2026-04-17 23:26:01 +00:00

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---
title: Use Efficient Pagination Strategies
impact: HIGH
impactDescription: 10-100x faster list queries on large collections
tags: query, pagination, performance, lists
---
## Use Efficient Pagination Strategies
Pagination impacts performance significantly. Use `skipTotal` for large datasets, cursor-based pagination for infinite scroll, and appropriate page sizes.
**Incorrect (inefficient pagination):**
```javascript
// Fetching all records - memory and performance disaster
const allPosts = await pb.collection('posts').getFullList();
// Downloads entire table, crashes on large datasets
// Default pagination without skipTotal
const posts = await pb.collection('posts').getList(100, 20);
// COUNT(*) runs on every request - slow on large tables
// Using offset for infinite scroll
async function loadMore(page) {
// As page increases, offset queries get slower
return pb.collection('posts').getList(page, 20);
// Page 1000: skips 19,980 rows before returning 20
}
```
**Correct (optimized pagination):**
```javascript
// Use skipTotal for better performance on large collections
const posts = await pb.collection('posts').getList(1, 20, {
skipTotal: true, // Skip COUNT(*) query
sort: '-created'
});
// Returns items without totalItems/totalPages (faster)
// Cursor-based pagination for infinite scroll
async function loadMorePosts(lastCreated = null) {
const filter = lastCreated
? pb.filter('created < {:cursor}', { cursor: lastCreated })
: '';
const result = await pb.collection('posts').getList(1, 20, {
filter,
sort: '-created',
skipTotal: true
});
// Next cursor is the last item's created date
const nextCursor = result.items.length > 0
? result.items[result.items.length - 1].created
: null;
return { items: result.items, nextCursor };
}
// Usage for infinite scroll
let cursor = null;
async function loadNextPage() {
const { items, nextCursor } = await loadMorePosts(cursor);
cursor = nextCursor;
appendToList(items);
}
// Batched fetching when you need all records
async function getAllPostsEfficiently() {
const allPosts = [];
let page = 1;
const perPage = 1000; // Larger batches = fewer requests (max 1000 per API limit)
while (true) {
const result = await pb.collection('posts').getList(page, perPage, {
skipTotal: true
});
allPosts.push(...result.items);
if (result.items.length < perPage) {
break; // No more records
}
page++;
}
return allPosts;
}
// Or use getFullList with batch option
const allPosts = await pb.collection('posts').getFullList({
batch: 1000, // Records per request (default 1000 since JS SDK v0.26.6; max 1000)
sort: '-created'
});
```
**Choose the right approach:**
| Use Case | Approach |
|----------|----------|
| Standard list with page numbers | `getList()` with page/perPage |
| Large dataset, no total needed | `getList()` with `skipTotal: true` |
| Infinite scroll | Cursor-based with `skipTotal: true` |
| Export all data | `getFullList()` with batch size |
| First N records only | `getList(1, N, { skipTotal: true })` |
**Performance tips:**
- Use `skipTotal: true` unless you need page count
- Keep `perPage` reasonable (20-100 for UI, up to 1000 for batch exports)
- Index fields used in sort and filter
- Cursor pagination scales better than offset
Reference: [PocketBase Records API](https://pocketbase.io/docs/api-records/)