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

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