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Pagination controls how many records are loaded at once when operators browse a collection. Getting it right balances user experience, showing enough records to be useful, with query performance on large tables.

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Default Behavior

When an operator opens a collection, Forest loads records in pages. Two requests are sent to your back-end for each page load:
  1. A query to fetch the records for the current page
  2. A query to count the total number of records (used to display page numbers and totals)
By default, collections show 15 records per page.

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Changing the Page Size

The page size is part of the collection’s layout, so the value you set applies to all operators, not just you. It is not a personal, per-operator preference. To change it:
  1. Enter Layout Editor mode
  2. Open the collection’s table view
  3. Use the page-size selector at the bottom-right of the table and pick a value
  4. The new page size is saved to the layout and applies to everyone
Page-size selector at the bottom-right of the table view
Increasing the page size on slow queries significantly impacts load time. Always test with realistic data volumes before changing the default for large tables.

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Disabling the Record Count

The total record count query can be expensive on large tables, especially if the query involves complex filters, joins, or a database without good index coverage. If the total count isn’t needed, disable it per collection: 
agent.customizeCollection('orders', collection => {
  collection.disableCount();
});
When count is disabled, the total number of records and page count are not displayed in the table view. Operators can still paginate forward and backward through records.
Disabling count is especially useful for collections backed by large analytical tables, external APIs, or data sources where a COUNT query is particularly slow.

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Performance Recommendations

ScenarioRecommendation
Table has millions of rowsDisable count, use smaller page sizes (10–25)
Frequent segment or filter useAdd database indexes on filtered fields
Table view has relationship columnsRemove relationship columns from the table view, each row triggers an extra query
Smart Fields in table viewHide Smart Fields not needed at a glance, they compute per row
For more optimization strategies, see Layout Maintenance.