Pagination
Pagination is the practice of splitting a long list of results across multiple pages instead of showing them all at once. Search results numbered 1, 2, 3, a "load more" button, or a feed that keeps extending as you scroll are all forms of pagination. Sites do it because loading thousands of items on a single page would be slow and unwieldy.
For scraping, pagination is a central detail. The data you want usually is not on the first page — it is spread across dozens or hundreds of them. A scraper has to move through the pages in turn, collecting results from each, until it reaches your target number or runs out of pages. Handle pagination badly and you get only the first slice; handle it well and you get the whole set.
It is also why result counts have limits. Some sources only paginate so deep before they stop serving more, which caps how much any tool — or person — can pull from a single search. Knowing that shapes how you plan a big pull.
How it relates to 1Scrape
1Scrape handles pagination for you — the part that makes manual collection so slow. You set how many results you want, and the scraper works through the pages behind the scenes, streaming rows into your CSV while a live counter climbs. It is also why very large pulls are best split up: because a single search only paginates so far, sweeping a category across a city, or queuing several searches, gathers more than hammering one query.
Frequently asked questions
Why does pagination matter for scraping?
Because most results are not on the first page. A scraper must follow the pagination — next pages, load-more, or infinite scroll — to collect the full set. If it stops at page one, you only get a fraction of what is available.
Why can't I always pull unlimited results from one search?
Many sources paginate only so deep before they stop serving more, which caps any single search. The workaround is to broaden coverage — sweep a category across a city or queue several related searches — rather than trying to force one query past its limit.