Which pagination method uses an encoded pointer and next_cursor value to paginate results?

Which pagination method uses an encoded pointer and next_cursor value to paginate results?

• A. Offset-based pagination
• B. Cursor-based pagination
• C. Page-based pagination
• D. Name-based pagination

Answer: (B)

Cursor-based pagination uses an encoded pointer to indicate where you left off in the results and a next_cursor value to fetch the following page. The server returns this cursor with the page, and you send it back in the next request to continue from that exact position. This makes paging more stable when data changes, because you’re not re-counting from the start or relying on a fixed offset that can misalign when inserts or deletions occur. The encoded pointer hides internal IDs and simply marks a position in the dataset, while next_cursor tells the server where to begin the next page. In contrast, offset-based pagination relies on a numeric offset (skip N items), page-based pagination uses page numbers, and name-based approaches hinge on a specific key rather than a moving pointer.

Cursor-based pagination uses an encoded pointer to indicate where you left off in the results and a next_cursor value to fetch the following page. The server returns this cursor with the page, and you send it back in the next request to continue from that exact position. This makes paging more stable when data changes, because you’re not re-counting from the start or relying on a fixed offset that can misalign when inserts or deletions occur. The encoded pointer hides internal IDs and simply marks a position in the dataset, while next_cursor tells the server where to begin the next page. In contrast, offset-based pagination relies on a numeric offset (skip N items), page-based pagination uses page numbers, and name-based approaches hinge on a specific key rather than a moving pointer.