Pagination presents several major challenges: accessibility, performance, SEO, and user experience. As a Drupal expert agency, we have developed Dropdown Pager, an open-source module that enhances Drupal’s classic pagination system while addressing these issues. Discover how our solution optimizes navigation and accessibility, while integrating seamlessly with the Drupal ecosystem.
The challenges of pagination
Pagination on a website involves dividing long content (news page, events, references, etc.) into several numbered pages.
Here are the main challenges:
- User experience : the user needs to know where they are, be able to easily go back, and navigate to another page.
- SEO : pagination must be set up so that search engines can crawl and index all the pages.
- Performance and eco-design : Each loaded page should be light and fast. Well-designed pagination only loads what the user needs, which is good for speed and energy consumption.
- Accessibility : Navigation buttons must be usable with the keyboard and understandable by screen readers, especially for people with visual impairments.
Classic pagination on Drupal
Traditionally, Drupal displays pagination as numbered links (1, 2, 3, …) and "Previous/Next" buttons. While this method works perfectly well, it can become cumbersome, especially for long lists or on mobile devices. It also doesn't allow you to access all the intermediate numbers.
Our solution: The Dropdown Pager module
Dropdown Pager replaces this pagination with a compact and accessible dropdown menu.
Here are its advantages:
- User experience : Ideal for clean designs or small screens. In particular, it allows users to directly access the desired page number when it is not directly visible on the interface.
- Accessibility : Compliant with RGAA standards, it improves navigation for all users, including those using screen readers.
- Functionality preserved : All options from classic pagination are retained, but in a more modern format.
How does it work?
To install and configure:
- Edit a View (Structure → Views)
- Go to the pagination settings
- Select "Paged display, dropdown menu"
- Configure the options (items per page, templates, search, etc.)
- Save the View
Our commitment to open source and the Drupal community
An Anchored Philosophy
For over 25 years, we have believed in the power of open source to innovate and share knowledge. By developing Dropdown Pager, we aim to:
- Make life easier for Drupal developers and administrators.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of the Drupal ecosystem, both in France and internationally.
Do you have a Drupal project and value sovereignty and open source issues? Contact us and let’s talk!
