Browse Definitions :
Definition

pagination

What is pagination?

Pagination is the process of separating print or digital content into discrete pages. For print documents and some online content, pagination also refers to the automated process of adding consecutive numbers to identify the sequential order of pages.

In print media, pagination is used to divide a document into pages, usually for numbering them. The term can also refer to the physical process of creating individual pages by hand or with machinery.

In digital media, pagination involves dividing content into discrete pages, usually for navigation. For example, a blog might use pagination to divide up its posts into separate pages, each with a limited number of entries. Web applications also use pagination to divide lists of results into manageable chunks.

Other pagination use cases

In general, pagination is used whenever a body of content needs to be divided into separate pages, whether for printing or digital delivery. It is a simple and effective way to make large amounts of content more manageable and user-friendly.

Pagination is commonly used in reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, where each page typically contains a small amount of text. It is also used extensively in academic publishing, where each article or chapter in a book is often paginated separately. Newspaper articles are also paginated.

As mentioned previously, digital content is often paginated for similar reasons: to make it easier to navigate search engine results pages (SERPs) or read an e-book or whitepaper, for example. Online newspapers, digital publication and e-books are all examples of paginated content.

The benefit of pagination

The benefit of pagination lies in the fact that organizing long articles into multiple pages provides a better experience for the reader.

However, even relatively brief articles are often paginated so that a page consists of a single paragraph and a visitor might have to click through 10 or more pages to read the complete text.

The purpose is to increase page views and, as a result, ad impressions -- the number of times a website visitor sees a given ad. However, because most readers don't complete multipage articles, the presentation of multiple short pages rather than a single long one might result in fewer ad impressions.

It is also worth noting that search engines might penalize sites for excessively long paginated content.

3 steps in the search engine process
Search engines might penalize sites for overly long paginated content.

Pagination best practices

Ideally, paginated content should be easy to navigate and understand. That means using numbers or other clear indicators to show readers their place in the article, as well as providing links to first, last and previous or next pages.

If an article is paginated for the sole purpose of increasing page views, that should be made clear to the reader. For example, a site might label a group of paginated pages as "Page 1 of 10," rather than just "1."

When using digital media to deliver content, it is important to design pagination in a way that makes sense for the medium. That might mean using infinite scroll or "load more" buttons for web content or providing readers with an estimated time to completion for longer articles.

Pagination can be an effective way to make large amounts of content more manageable and user-friendly. However, it should be used thoughtfully and sparingly; otherwise, it can become a hindrance rather than a help.

Check out our guide to enterprise content management and learn the ins and outs of enterprise document management.

This was last updated in November 2022

Continue Reading About pagination

Networking
  • firewall as a service (FWaaS)

    Firewall as a service (FWaaS), also known as a cloud firewall, is a service that provides cloud-based network traffic analysis ...

  • private 5G

    Private 5G is a wireless network technology that delivers 5G cellular connectivity for private network use cases.

  • NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure)

    NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure) encompasses all of the networking hardware and software needed to support ...

Security
  • virus (computer virus)

    A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a program or file. A virus can replicate and spread across an ...

  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

    Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification that indicates that an individual possesses the ...

  • cryptography

    Cryptography is a method of protecting information and communications using codes, so that only those for whom the information is...

CIO
  • B2B (business to business)

    B2B (business-to-business) is a type of commerce involving the exchange of products, services or information between businesses, ...

  • return on investment (ROI)

    Return on investment (ROI) is a crucial financial metric investors and businesses use to evaluate an investment's efficiency or ...

  • big data as a service (BDaaS)

    Big data as a service (BDaS) is the delivery of data platforms and tools by a cloud provider to help organizations process, ...

HRSoftware
  • talent acquisition

    Talent acquisition is the strategic process an organization uses to identify, recruit and hire the people it needs to achieve its...

  • human capital management (HCM)

    Human capital management (HCM) is a comprehensive set of practices and tools used for recruiting, managing and developing ...

  • Betterworks

    Betterworks is performance management software that helps workforces and organizations to improve manager effectiveness and ...

Customer Experience
  • martech (marketing technology)

    Martech (marketing technology) refers to the integration of software tools, platforms, and applications designed to streamline ...

  • transactional marketing

    Transactional marketing is a business strategy that focuses on single, point-of-sale transactions.

  • customer profiling

    Customer profiling is the detailed and systematic process of constructing a clear portrait of a company's ideal customer by ...

Close