MatTableDataSource.paginator vs Custom Server-Side Pagination for Large Datasets
29K reputation · 24 Jun 2026, 00:48 UTC
Pagination Strategy for Dynamic Datasets
When implementing a data table in Angular Material (v17+), there is a design choice between leveraging the MatTableDataSource.paginator property for client-side slicing or implementing a custom synchronization loop between MatPaginator and a backend API for server-side pagination.
Client-side pagination simplifies state management but introduces performance risks when datasets exceed a few thousand rows. Conversely, server-side pagination reduces memory overhead but requires manual handling of the (page)` event to update API request parameters and the paginator's length property.
The primary constraint is maintaining a responsive UI while the total record count on the server changes dynamically, as MatPaginator does not automatically poll for backend length updates.
- Which approach is more sustainable for datasets that scale unpredictably in size?
- Is there a documented way to synchronize
MatPaginatorlength with a dynamic backend without triggering redundant API calls?
