Why is it important to include pagination in a REST API?

Short answer: Prevents large payloads. Improves performance and response times. Reduces server and network load. 👉

Example code

GET /users?page=2&limit=20.

Real-world example (ShopNest)

Creating an order is POST /api/orders → 201 with Location header. Fetching is GET /api/orders/{id} → 200 or 404.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.