fix: pagination returning duplicate results when timestamps: false (#13920)

### What
Fixes a bug where collection docs paginate incorrectly when `timestamps:
false` is set — the same docs were appearing across multiple pages.

### Why
The `find` query sanitizes the `sort` parameter.  

- With `timestamps: true`, it defaults to `createdAt`
- With `timestamps: false`, it falls back to `_id`

That logic is correct, but in `find.ts` we always passed `timestamps:
true`, ignoring the collection config. With the right sort applied,
pagination works as expected.

### How
`find.ts` now passes `collectionConfig.timestamps` to
`buildSortParam()`, ensuring the correct sort field is chosen.

---

Fixes #13888

packages/db-mongodb/src/find.ts

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export const find: Find = async function find(
       locale,
       sort: sortArg || collectionConfig.defaultSort,
       sortAggregation,
-      timestamps: true,
+      timestamps: collectionConfig.timestamps || false,
     })
   }
 

test/admin/collections/NoTimestamps.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'
+
+export const noTimestampsSlug = 'no-timestamps'
+
+export const NoTimestampsCollection: CollectionConfig = {
+  slug: noTimestampsSlug,
+  timestamps: false,
+  fields: [
+    {
+      name: 'title',
+      type: 'text',
+    },
+  ],
+}

test/admin/config.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { CollectionHidden } from './collections/Hidden.js'
 import { ListDrawer } from './collections/ListDrawer.js'
 import { ListViewSelectAPI } from './collections/ListViewSelectAPI/index.js'
 import { CollectionNoApiView } from './collections/NoApiView.js'
+import { NoTimestampsCollection } from './collections/NoTimestamps.js'
 import { CollectionNotInView } from './collections/NotInView.js'
 import { Placeholder } from './collections/Placeholder.js'
 import { Posts } from './collections/Posts.js'
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
     CustomListDrawer,
     ListViewSelectAPI,
     Virtuals,
+    NoTimestampsCollection,
   ],
   globals: [
     GlobalHidden,

test/admin/e2e/list-view/e2e.spec.ts

@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ const description = 'Description'
 let payload: PayloadTestSDK<Config>
 
 import { listViewSelectAPISlug } from 'admin/collections/ListViewSelectAPI/index.js'
+import { noTimestampsSlug } from 'admin/collections/NoTimestamps.js'
 import { devUser } from 'credentials.js'
-import { getRowByCellValueAndAssert } from 'helpers/e2e/getRowByCellValueAndAssert.js'
 import {
   openListColumns,
   reorderColumns,
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import {
   waitForColumnInURL,
 } from 'helpers/e2e/columns/index.js'
 import { addListFilter, openListFilters } from 'helpers/e2e/filters/index.js'
+import { getRowByCellValueAndAssert } from 'helpers/e2e/getRowByCellValueAndAssert.js'
 import { goToNextPage, goToPreviousPage } from 'helpers/e2e/goToNextPage.js'
 import { goToFirstCell } from 'helpers/e2e/navigateToDoc.js'
 import { deletePreferences } from 'helpers/e2e/preferences.js'
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ describe('List View', () => {
   let disableBulkEditUrl: AdminUrlUtil
   let user: any
   let virtualsUrl: AdminUrlUtil
+  let noTimestampsUrl: AdminUrlUtil
 
   let serverURL: string
   let adminRoutes: ReturnType<typeof getRoutes>
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ describe('List View', () => {
     placeholderUrl = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, placeholderCollectionSlug)
     disableBulkEditUrl = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, 'disable-bulk-edit')
     virtualsUrl = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, virtualsSlug)
+    noTimestampsUrl = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, noTimestampsSlug)
     const context = await browser.newContext()
     page = await context.newPage()
     initPageConsoleErrorCatch(page)
@@ -1568,6 +1571,24 @@ describe('List View', () => {
       await expect(page.locator('.per-page')).toContainText('Per Page: 15') // ensure this hasn't changed
       await expect(page.locator('.page-controls__page-info')).toHaveText('16-16 of 16')
     })
+
+    test('should paginate when timestamps are disabled', async () => {
+      await mapAsync([...Array(6)], async () => {
+        await createNoTimestampPost()
+      })
+
+      await page.goto(noTimestampsUrl.list)
+
+      await page.locator('.per-page .popup-button').click()
+      await page.getByRole('button', { name: '5', exact: true }).click()
+      await page.waitForURL(/limit=5/)
+
+      const firstPageIds = await page.locator('.cell-id').allInnerTexts()
+      await goToNextPage(page)
+      const secondPageIds = await page.locator('.cell-id').allInnerTexts()
+
+      expect(firstPageIds).not.toContain(secondPageIds[0])
+    })
   })
 
   // TODO: Troubleshoot flaky suite
@@ -1918,6 +1939,16 @@ async function createGeo(overrides?: Partial<Geo>): Promise<Geo> {
   }) as unknown as Promise<Geo>
 }
 
+async function createNoTimestampPost(overrides?: Partial<Post>): Promise<Post> {
+  return payload.create({
+    collection: noTimestampsSlug,
+    data: {
+      title,
+      ...overrides,
+    },
+  }) as unknown as Promise<Post>
+}
+
 async function createArray() {
   return payload.create({
     collection: arrayCollectionSlug,

test/admin/payload-types.ts

@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ export interface Config {
     'custom-list-drawer': CustomListDrawer;
     'list-view-select-api': ListViewSelectApi;
     virtuals: Virtual;
+    'no-timestamps': NoTimestamp;
     'payload-locked-documents': PayloadLockedDocument;
     'payload-preferences': PayloadPreference;
     'payload-migrations': PayloadMigration;
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ export interface Config {
     'custom-list-drawer': CustomListDrawerSelect<false> | CustomListDrawerSelect<true>;
     'list-view-select-api': ListViewSelectApiSelect<false> | ListViewSelectApiSelect<true>;
     virtuals: VirtualsSelect<false> | VirtualsSelect<true>;
+    'no-timestamps': NoTimestampsSelect<false> | NoTimestampsSelect<true>;
     'payload-locked-documents': PayloadLockedDocumentsSelect<false> | PayloadLockedDocumentsSelect<true>;
     'payload-preferences': PayloadPreferencesSelect<false> | PayloadPreferencesSelect<true>;
     'payload-migrations': PayloadMigrationsSelect<false> | PayloadMigrationsSelect<true>;
@@ -612,6 +614,14 @@ export interface Virtual {
   updatedAt: string;
   createdAt: string;
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "no-timestamps".
+ */
+export interface NoTimestamp {
+  id: string;
+  title?: string | null;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "payload-locked-documents".
@@ -734,6 +744,10 @@ export interface PayloadLockedDocument {
     | ({
         relationTo: 'virtuals';
         value: string | Virtual;
+      } | null)
+    | ({
+        relationTo: 'no-timestamps';
+        value: string | NoTimestamp;
       } | null);
   globalSlug?: string | null;
   user: {
@@ -1175,6 +1189,13 @@ export interface VirtualsSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "no-timestamps_select".
+ */
+export interface NoTimestampsSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
+  title?: T;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "payload-locked-documents_select".