How can I display pagination in laravel?
Stefan Bogdanescu
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
# How Can I Display Pagination in Laravel? Solving the Empty Links Mystery
As developers working with Laravel, pagination is a fundamental requirement for handling large datasets efficiently. Whether you are displaying blog posts, product listings, or user comments, knowing how to correctly implement and display these links is crucial for a good user experience.
Many developers encounter subtle issues when implementing pagination, especially when dealing with specific versions of the framework or custom scope functions. This post will walk you through the standard Laravel approach, diagnose why you might see empty results despite correct setup, and ensure your pagination displays flawlessly.
## Understanding Laravel Pagination Fundamentals
Laravel makes handling pagination remarkably straightforward by leveraging the Eloquent query builder. When you use methods like `paginate()` on an Eloquent query, Laravel automatically handles the creation of the necessary links for navigation.
The core concept involves fetching a limited set of results and wrapping them in a Paginator object. This object contains metadata about the total count, current page, total pages, and, most importantly, the links themselves.
For instance, when you use the `paginate()` method, the result is an instance of the `LengthAwarePaginator` (or similar) class, which holds all the necessary data for rendering pagination controls. This functionality is deeply integrated into Laravelâs ecosystem, making it a core feature we rely on at [laravelcompany.com](https://laravelcompany.com).
## Debugging the Empty Links Issue: Why Did My Pagination Fail?
You mentioned setting up your controller and view structure, including using a scope function to apply pagination:
```php
// Controller setup snippet
public function index()
{
$products = $this->product->list(); // This returns the Paginator object
return view('admin.product.index', compact('products'));
}
// Scope setup snippet
public function scopeList($query)
{
return $query->orderBy('updated_at', 'desc')->paginate(20);
}
```
And in your view, you use:
```html
{{ $products->links() }}
```
If you are seeing an empty result on the web despite this seemingly correct setup, the issue is rarely with the `links()` call itself, but often with how Laravel handles the data flow or caching.
Here are the most common reasons why `$products->links()` might appear empty:
1. **Data Scope Issue:** Ensure that the method you are calling (in your case, `$this->product->list()`) is actually returning a paginated result. If your scope function (`scopeList`) is not being correctly applied or executed in the context where you fetch the data, you might be receiving a simple collection instead of a Paginator object.
2. **View Context:** Pagination links *must* be rendered within an HTML context. Ensure that `$products` is correctly passed to the view and that there are no intervening conditional statements or errors preventing the link generation (though this is less common).
3. **Laravel Version Specifics:** While the core concept remains the same, older versions of Laravel sometimes required slightly different handling for pagination objects in views compared to modern versions. Always reference the official documentation for your specific framework version when debugging.
## Best Practice Implementation for Pagination Display
To ensure robust and clean pagination display, let's solidify the best practice. We will assume you are using a standard Eloquent setup, which is the foundation of most Laravel applications.
### Step 1: Ensure Proper Querying in the Controller
Instead of relying solely on a custom scope if you are starting from an Eloquent model, applying `paginate()` directly to the query builder method often provides clearer control. If you prefer using scopes, ensure they return the paginated instance.
In your controller, fetch the paginated results directly:
```php
use App\Models\Product; // Assuming you are using Eloquent Models
public function index()
{
// Fetch products and apply pagination immediately
$products = Product::orderBy('updated_at', 'desc')->paginate(20);
return view('admin.product.index', compact('products'));
}
```
### Step 2: Rendering the Links in the View
The way you access the links remains the same, but itâs important to understand that `$products` is a Paginator object. Calling `links()` tells Laravel to render the necessary HTML for navigation based on the data contained within that object.
```html
Product Listings
{{-- Display the actual products --}}-
@foreach ($products as $product)
- {{ $product->name }} @endforeach
{{ $products->links() }}
```
By ensuring that the variable passed to the view is a correctly instantiated Paginator objectâwhich happens naturally when you use Eloquent's `paginate()` methodâthe `$products->links()` call will successfully render the navigation controls. Always consult official documentation for the most up-to-date practices on [laravelcompany.com](https://laravelcompany.com) to maintain consistency across your application.
## Conclusion
Displaying pagination in Laravel is a matter of correctly understanding how Eloquent integrates with the built-in pagination features. The solution to empty links usually lies not in the syntax you use in the view, but in ensuring that the data being passed from your controller is a valid Paginator object. By sticking to standard practicesâapplying `paginate()` directly on your query and calling `$products->links()`âyou can achieve professional and functional navigation for your users.