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» API Pagination: A Developer’s Playbook «
When we request resources from a remote API,
the first thing we need to consider is pagination.
Why?
Because,
APIs don’t return every result all at once.
So, we always have to ask:
↳ How many resources are there?
↳ How many am I allowed to retrieve at once?
↳ And most importantly: what’s the best strategy for getting everything we need?
** Here’s my go-to playbook for handling API pagination **
- Start by getting the request URL with the right query parameters for the first page, making sure you’re pulling in the max number of results allowed.
- The first page headers will include a `link` header. It’s a semicolon-delimited string with `next` and `last` links.
- Parse the `link` header to grab the `next` and `last` links. Use those to move through the rest of the pages.
This is all you ever need to know to handle most paginated APIs like a pro!
Țechśavvy CEO
Got your own API pagination tips or feeling stuck? Drop a comment or DM me, let’s swap notes and work through it together! 💬🚀