Hi Yufei By default, LIST_PAGINATION_MAX_PAGE_SIZE is -1 (unlimited), so changing LIST_PAGINATION_ENABLED to true doesn't have impact for any client that doesn't send pageToken/pageSize, so it's not a breaking change.
We can remove this flag after a couple of releases, as we did for other flag in the past. So, +1 to enable pagination by default. Regards JB On Thu, Sep 17, 2026 at 5:28 AM Yufei Gu <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > Following up on the discussion in PR #5385 > <https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/5385#discussion_r4021046514>, I’d > like to propose enabling list pagination by default. > > Currently, LIST_PAGINATION_ENABLED defaults to false, so users need to > enable it before clients can use pagination, including the Python CLI’s new > --page-size option. > > Enabling the flag does not force pagination on existing clients: requests > that omit both pageToken and pageSize still receive the full list. Changing > the default would let clients request pagination without an extra server > configuration step, while preserving the behavior of requests that do not > ask for it. > > I see two options: > > 1. > > Default the flag to true, retaining the ability to disable pagination. > 2. > > Remove the flag and always support pagination when requested. > > I lean toward enabling it by default first, keeping the flag as an escape > hatch. We could consider removing it later if there is no remaining need to > disable pagination. > > Are there compatibility concerns, known impl. limitations, or operational > reasons to keep pagination disabled by default? Would others prefer > removing the flag altogether? > Yufei
