Jira Cloud REST API v3 /search/jql: Slower Fetching with nextPageToken & No totalIssues – Any Workarounds?

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Hi everyone,

I’ve been working with the Jira Cloud REST API v3, specifically the /rest/api/3/search/jql endpoint, and I’ve noticed some challenges with the new pagination approach using nextPageToken. I wanted to check if others have encountered similar issues and if there are any recommended workarounds.

  1. nextPageToken Slows Down Fetching

Previously, using startAt and maxResults, we could paginate through results efficiently, even making parallel requests when needed. With nextPageToken, however, fetching issues has become noticeably slower because:

  • We must wait for one page to complete before fetching the next, preventing parallel requests.
  • This significantly increases the total fetch time for large datasets.
  • The lack of control over pagination makes handling large result sets more cumbersome.
  1. No totalIssues Field in the Response

In the past, API responses included a total field, which allowed us to determine the total number of matching issues immediately. Now, this information is missing, meaning:

  • We need to make an extra API call just to retrieve the total count.
  • This adds complexity to pagination and limits, requiring additional handling on our end.

I understand that nextPageToken might be aimed at improving API efficiency, but in practice, it has made fetching issues slower and more complicated.
Is there an official workaround to handle pagination more efficiently?

https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rest/v3/api-group-issue-search/#api-rest-api-3-search-post

Thanks in advance for any insights.

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