Java Client Library pagination not working correctly for Google Docs API

Other Questions Google docs
1

I’m trying to implement pagination when fetching Google Docs data using the Java Client Library but running into issues. My method seems to always return the same results regardless of the start index.

Here’s my current implementation:

private static final String FEED_URL = "https://docs.google.com/feeds/default/private/full/";

public List<DocumentListEntry> fetchDocuments() throws Exception {
    URL apiUrl = new URL(FEED_URL);
    DocumentQuery docQuery = new DocumentQuery(apiUrl);
    docQuery.setMaxResults(2);
    docQuery.setStartIndex(1);
    DocumentListFeed docFeed = service.getFeed(docQuery, DocumentListFeed.class);
    return docFeed.getEntries();
}

I process the results like this:

List<DocumentListEntry> documents = docService.fetchDocuments();
for (DocumentListEntry doc : documents) {
    handleDocument(authToken, docService, doc);
}

The problem is that when I modify the start index from 1 to 3, I still get the exact same two entries instead of the next page of results. What am I doing wrong with the pagination setup?

2

Your pagination code looks fine syntax-wise, but Google Docs API is probably having issues with your start index. I’ve run into this before - the API ignores start index values that don’t line up with actual document boundaries in your account. First, log how many documents you actually have by checking docFeed.getTotalResults() after your initial query. Then double-check your start index math is within bounds. Google Docs API is inconsistent with zero-based vs one-based indexing depending on which client library version you’re using. Also check if you’re hitting rate limits or quota restrictions - the API might be falling back to default behavior. Add some debug output to print the actual feed URL and response headers. You might be getting warnings or error codes that are failing silently.

3

This is a common issue with Google Docs API pagination. The problem is how you’re handling service authentication between requests. When you change the start index but keep the same service instance, the API caches your original query parameters internally.

Create a fresh DocumentQuery object for each pagination request instead of reusing the same one. Make sure you’re calling service.getFeed() with a completely new query instance every time.

I’ve seen this happen especially when OAuth token refresh kicks in between paginated requests - the auth layer messes with pagination state management. Also check that your service object isn’t holding onto cached feed state from previous calls. Clear any caching by reinitializing the service connection before making your next paginated request.

4

Check if you’re using the deprecated GData API - Google killed most of that years ago. That feed URL looks like an old GData endpoint that doesn’t work anymore. You should switch to Google Drive API v3 instead of trying to fix pagination on a dead API.

5

Had this exact pagination problem before. You’re probably hardcoding the start index instead of doing proper sequential pagination. The Google Docs API needs you to track pagination state between requests. Change your approach - use the feed’s built-in pagination links. After you get the initial feed, check if docFeed.getNextLink() exists and use that URL for your next requests. Don’t manually calculate start indices. The API handles pagination tokens internally. Also double-check your account actually has more than 2 documents. I once spent hours debugging pagination only to find my test account barely had any data. Bump up maxResults temporarily to make sure you’ve got enough documents to test pagination properly.