Answer
A pagination query returns a limited ordered slice of rows. • ORDER BY must provide a stable sequence. • OFFSET pagination skips earlier rows. • Keyset pagination is often more efficient and stable for deep or changing result sets.
💡 SQL Example
SELECT order_id, ordered_at FROM orders ORDER BY ordered_at DESC, order_id DESC OFFSET 20 ROWS FETCH FIRST 10 ROWS ONLY;
Result
The third page of ten ordered rows
⚡ Quick Revision
Pagination needs a deterministic ORDER BY and a defined page method.