# Searching with pagination **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531 "2008-09-14T12:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/1 "2008-09-14T12:25:33Z")
I’ve got a search action that submits to itself and allows users to search through a list of people by firstname and/or lastname. On submitting the form the action detects POST method, performs the search and renders a results template. My question is how can I integrate pagination with the search results? If I use pagination like normal it will revert to GET method and thus display the search form again. What is the accepted procedure for doing this? Thanks Matt ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/2 "2008-09-14T13:47:00Z")
Erol F. wrote: > > If I use pagination like normal it will revert to GET method and thus > > display the search form again. > > > > What is the accepted procedure for doing this? > > > > Thanks > > > > Matt > > What pagination method or plugin are you using? I’m currently using will\_paginate, which works beautifully for the main contact list. I’m just not sure how to get it integrate with a POST search. Thanks Matt ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/3 "2008-09-14T13:41:43Z")
On Sep 14, 6:23 pm, Matt H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > What is the accepted procedure for doing this? > > Thanks > > Matt What pagination method or plugin are you using? ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/4 "2008-09-14T14:43:51Z")
Erol F. wrote: > Correct me if I’m wrong, but you want the pagination link to be > rendered as POST methods, right? Have you tried creating your own > custom link render? I haven’t tried doing it myself yet, I just thought there would be a problem as each click of a standard page link would be a GET request and that would cause the action to display the form instead of the results. I think I have an idea how to get round it so I’ll post again if I’m still in trouble 🙂 Thanks Matt ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/5 "2008-09-14T14:46:46Z")
On Sep 14, 8:32 pm, Matt H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Matt > > > still in trouble 🙂 > > Thanks > > Matt Give the custom link renderer a try first and render your pagination links with link\_to :method =\> :post. ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/6 "2008-09-14T14:11:37Z")
On Sep 14, 7:46 pm, Matt H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’m currently using will\_paginate, which works beautifully for the main > contact list. > > I’m just not sure how to get it integrate with a POST search. > > Thanks > > Matt Correct me if I’m wrong, but you want the pagination link to be rendered as POST methods, right? Have you tried creating your own custom link render? ---
**Author:** ![bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@bouldr-matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/bouldr-matt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/searching-with-pagination/148531/7 "2008-09-14T18:20:41Z")
Hi Matt On Sep 14, 11:23 am, Matt H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I’ve got a search action that submits to itself and allows users to > search through a list of people by firstname and/or lastname. > > On submitting the form the action detects POST method, performs the > search and renders a results template. > > My question is how can I integrate pagination with the search results? Why don’t you use :method =\> :get on your form instead which will put your search criteria into the query string and then the subsequent get requests from the will\_paginate links will just append the page to the querystring and all work fine. From a REST point of view the search action would use the GET verb anyway as it is retrieving a list. Graham