Code Ape Tech Column

Mar 15, 2021 · Databases

Why Large OFFSETs Slow MySQL Queries and How to Fix Them

A developer discovers that massive OFFSET values in MySQL pagination cause full‑table scans and severe latency, then reproduces the issue with simulated data, benchmarks the slowdown, and presents three practical solutions—including index‑covering subqueries, cursor‑based pagination, and offset limits—to restore query performance.