# api-pagination

A skill that tells the agent how to page through big collections: offset/limit, cursors, keyset. Useful when a user list or search result set outgrows one response.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 489 installs · ★ 371
- Author: aj-geddes
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts/tree/HEAD/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-03-04
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/api-pagination

## What it does

The skill covers three pagination approaches, each in its own guide under `references/`. There are files for offset/limit, cursor-based and keyset pagination, plus separate ones for search and response formats. Python projects get a SQLAlchemy version. The agent picks the guide that matches your stack and writes the code.

\`SKILL.md` opens with a Node.js example: page and limit come from query params, the limit is capped at 100, and the response carries `data` plus a `pagination` block with the total count and a next-page flag. Then come the do and don't lists — sort on indexed fields, don't allow unlimited page sizes, don't count rows on every request.

One rule stands out: don't mix strategies inside a single API. Switch from offset to cursors halfway through a list and the client loses its place. Worth settling on one approach before the first list endpoint ships.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill api-pagination -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/api-pagination/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill api-pagination -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill api-pagination -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts api-pagination
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill api-pagination -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --path skills/api-pagination
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill api-pagination -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts/tree/HEAD/skills/api-pagination/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- return a user list page by page
- build infinite scroll in the UI
- speed up queries against a table with millions of rows
- add paging to search results
- pick between offset and cursors for a new API

## Example prompts
- add pagination to the /api/users endpoint, limit 20
- rewrite this list using keyset pagination
- show me the cursor response format for search

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: a88a5785d2552832.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE a88a5785d2552832
````text
---
name: api-pagination
description: >
  Implement efficient pagination strategies for large datasets using
  offset/limit, cursor-based, and keyset pagination. Use when returning
  collections, managing large result sets, or optimizing query performance.
---

# API Pagination

## Table of Contents

- [Overview](#overview)
- [When to Use](#when-to-use)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Reference Guides](#reference-guides)
- [Best Practices](#best-practices)

## Overview

Implement scalable pagination strategies for handling large datasets with efficient querying, navigation, and performance optimization.

## When to Use

- Returning large collections of resources
- Implementing search results pagination
- Building infinite scroll interfaces
- Optimizing large dataset queries
- Managing memory in client applications
- Improving API response times

## Quick Start

Minimal working example:

```javascript
// Node.js offset/limit implementation
app.get('/api/users', async (req, res) => {
  const page = parseInt(req.query.page) || 1;
  const limit = Math.min(parseInt(req.query.limit) || 20, 100); // Max 100
  const offset = (page - 1) * limit;

  try {
    const [users, total] = await Promise.all([
      User.find()
        .skip(offset)
        .limit(limit)
        .select('id email firstName lastName createdAt'),
      User.countDocuments()
    ]);

    const totalPages = Math.ceil(total / limit);

    res.json({
      data: users,
      pagination: {
        page,
        limit,
        total,
        totalPages,
        hasNext: page < totalPages,
// ... (see reference guides for full implementation)
```

## Reference Guides

Detailed implementations in the `references/` directory:

| Guide | Contents |
|---|---|
| [Offset/Limit Pagination](references/offsetlimit-pagination.md) | Offset/Limit Pagination |
| [Cursor-Based Pagination](references/cursor-based-pagination.md) | Cursor-Based Pagination |
| [Keyset Pagination](references/keyset-pagination.md) | Keyset Pagination |
| [Search Pagination](references/search-pagination.md) | Search Pagination |
| [Pagination Response Formats](references/pagination-response-formats.md) | Pagination Response Formats |
| [Python Pagination (SQLAlchemy)](references/python-pagination-sqlalchemy.md) | Python Pagination (SQLAlchemy) |

## Best Practices

### ✅ DO

- Use cursor pagination for large datasets
- Set reasonable maximum limits (e.g., 100)
- Include total count when feasible
- Provide navigation links
- Document pagination strategy
- Use indexed fields for sorting
- Cache pagination results when appropriate
- Handle edge cases (empty results)
- Implement consistent pagination formats
- Use keyset for extremely large datasets

### ❌ DON'T

- Use offset with billions of rows
- Allow unlimited page sizes
- Count rows for every request
- Paginate without sorting
- Change sort order mid-pagination
- Use deep pagination without cursor
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE a88a5785d2552832

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