Spring Boot JPA pagination and sorting tutorial,
Spring Data JPA pageable response example,
Custom pageable response with metadata in Spring Boot,
Spring Boot REST API pagination best practices,
Spring Boot pagination with Page and Slice,
Spring Boot pagination using Specification and Criteria API,
How to implement infinite scroll with Spring Boot pagination,
Spring Boot pagination and filter with JPA Specification,
Spring Boot pagination using native SQL query,
Spring Boot pageable and offset-limit query with PostgreSQL

Pagination is a crucial feature for modern web applications that manage large datasets. It allows developers to fetch data in smaller, more manageable portions instead of loading everything at once. This not only improves performance but also enhances the user experience.

Spring Boot, with JPA and PostgreSQL, is a powerful stack that makes implementing pagination straightforward and efficient. This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to set up pagination in your Spring Boot application using JPA and PostgreSQL. From creating a PostgreSQL-backed Spring project to building a REST API with Pageable and customizing responses, you’ll learn best practices and practical tips along the way.

Table of Contents

1. What is Pagination and Why It Matters
2. Overview of Spring Boot, JPA, and PostgreSQL Stack
3. Create PostgreSQL-Backed Spring Boot Project
4. Define JPA Entity and Repository
5. Build REST API Using Pageable and Page<T>
6. Customize Page<T> JSON Response
7. Query Params: Page, Size, and Sort
8. Default Values and Validation for Parameters
9. Test the Endpoint with Postman
10. Best Practices and Performance Tips
11. FAQs

What is Pagination and Why It Matters

Pagination, in the context of APIs, involves dividing a large set of data into smaller chunks, called pages, that can be fetched incrementally. Instead of loading the entire dataset at once, paginated APIs retrieve manageable portions, reducing server load and improving efficiency.

Benefits of Pagination

1. Performance Optimization – Limits the amount of data sent over the network and fetched from the database.
2. Enhanced User Experience – Makes it easier for users to browse data in smaller increments.
3. Scalability – Supports applications handling millions of records by processing focused data ranges.
4. Reduced Latency – Minimizes the impact of database-heavy operations by loading smaller data chunks.

Common use cases for pagination include e-commerce websites displaying products, news feeds, and any app that handles large datasets.

Overview of Spring Boot, JPA, and PostgreSQL Stack

Before implementing pagination, it’s essential to understand the components of the stack we’ll be using:

1. Spring Boot

A framework that simplifies application setup and development by abstracting complex configurations. It supports REST APIs and integrates well with data-handling libraries.

2. Java Persistence API (JPA)

JPA is a specification for managing data stored in relational databases. It allows developers to use high-level object-relational mapping (ORM) instead of SQL queries.

3. PostgreSQL

An advanced, open-source relational database that offers great performance and extensibility for handling complex queries and large data volumes.

Together, these technologies provide a robust and developer-friendly environment for managing paginated datasets efficiently.

Create PostgreSQL-Backed Spring Boot Project

Step 1. Initialize the Spring Boot Project

Use Spring Initializr and include the following dependencies:

• Spring Web (for REST APIs)
• Spring Data JPA (for database interactions)
• PostgreSQL Driver

Step 2. Configure PostgreSQL in application.properties

Add your database configuration details in the src/main/resources/application.properties file:

spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/mydatabase
spring.datasource.username=postgres
spring.datasource.password=password
spring.jpa.show-sql=true
spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update

Ensure that PostgreSQL is installed and running locally with the database mydatabase created.

Define JPA Entity and Repository

Step 1. Create the Entity Class

Define the entity representing the table in the database. For example, a Product entity:

@Entity
public class Product {
    @Id
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    private Long id;

    private String name;
    private double price;

    // Getters and setters
}

Step 2. Create the Repository Interface

JPA repositories handle data access and provide built-in methods for pagination and sorting:

@Repository
public interface ProductRepository extends JpaRepository<Product, Long> {
}

The JpaRepository interface includes a findAll method that supports pagination with Pageable.

Build REST API Using Pageable and Page<T>

Step 1. Create the Controller

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/products")
public class ProductController {
    private final ProductRepository productRepository;

    public ProductController(ProductRepository productRepository) {
        this.productRepository = productRepository;
    }

    @GetMapping
    public Page<Product> getProducts(Pageable pageable) {
        return productRepository.findAll(pageable);
    }
}

Step 2. Test the Pagination

Access the endpoint in your browser or API client with parameters like:

GET http://localhost:8080/api/products?page=0&size=5&sort=name,asc

Customize Page<T> JSON Response

Step 1. Create a Custom Wrapper

You can modify the response to include helpful metadata alongside the actual paginated data:

public class PaginatedResponse<T> {
    private List<T> data;
    private int currentPage;
    private int totalPages;
    private long totalItems;

    // Getters and setters
}

Step 2. Use in Controller

@GetMapping
public PaginatedResponse<Product> getCustomProducts(Pageable pageable) {
    Page<Product> products = productRepository.findAll(pageable);
    return new PaginatedResponse<>(
        products.getContent(),
        products.getNumber(),
        products.getTotalPages(),
        products.getTotalElements()
    );
}

Query Params: Page, Size, and Sort

Spring Boot uses the Pageable object to parse these parameters. Example:

• ?page=1 – Fetches the second page (zero-based index).
• ?size=10 – Limits the number of results per page.
• ?sort=price,desc – Orders results by price in descending order.

These parameters are parsed automatically and can be customized as needed.

Default Values and Validation for Parameters

Prevent misuse by setting default values and performing validations. The @PageableDefault annotation is handy for this:

@GetMapping
public Page<Product> getValidatedProducts(
    @PageableDefault(size = 10, sort = "name", direction = Sort.Direction.ASC) Pageable pageable) {
    return productRepository.findAll(pageable);
}

Set hard limits in your application logic if input exceeds acceptable ranges.

Test the Endpoint with Postman

1. Open Postman and create a request with the URL:

http://localhost:8080/api/products?page=0&size=5&sort=name,desc

2. Check the response to verify pagination and sorting behavior.
3. Experiment with invalid inputs to test your validation logic.

Best Practices and Performance Tips

• Index Your Database Columns: Index commonly sorted or filtered fields (e.g., name, price).
• Limit Page Size: Prevent users from requesting excessive data by capping size values.
• Cache Frequently Accessed Pages: Use Spring Cache or third-party caching tools.
• Optimize Queries: Use lightweight projections (DTOs) instead of entire entities for performance-critical endpoints.

FAQs

Q1. What is the difference between Page and List in Spring Boot?

Page provides additional metadata like total elements and pages, while List only holds raw data.

Q2. Can I paginate custom queries in Spring Data JPA?

Yes, use the @Query annotation alongside a Pageable parameter.

Q3. How do I handle large datasets?

Use pagination to fetch manageable chunks, and optimize database queries with indexes and caching.

Q4. How do I enforce a maximum page size?

Validate size parameters in your controller, and reject requests exceeding predefined limits.

By mastering these techniques, you can create robust and scalable APIs with efficient pagination in Spring Boot, JPA, and PostgreSQL!

Spring Boot JPA pagination and sorting tutorial

Spring Data JPA pageable response example

Custom pageable response with metadata in Spring Boot

Spring Boot REST API pagination best practices

Spring Boot pagination with Page and Slice

Spring Boot pagination using Specification and Criteria API

How to implement infinite scroll with Spring Boot pagination

Spring Boot pagination and filter with JPA Specification

Spring Boot pagination using native SQL query

Spring Boot pageable and offset-limit query with PostgreSQL