The API supports two methods for continuing action=query when more results are available, the simple method[1] and the raw method.[2] The raw method is currently the default for historical reasons, but as the simple method is much easier for new users to use *correctly* that really should be the default.
To make this transition easy for clients, the current plan is to make the change on the following timetable: * Starting with 1.24wmf22,[3][4] action=query will recognize a "rawcontinue" boolean input parameter. Clients that wish to continue using the raw method for continuation should begin supplying this parameter with all action=query queries. * Sometime during the MediaWiki 1.25 development cycle, the API will begin reporting warnings when neither "continue" nor "rawcontinue" are supplied with action=query.[5] * Sometime during the MediaWiki 1.26 development cycle, simplified continuation will become the default.[6]
Note this is also documented at < https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Requests_for_comment/API_roadmap#Simplified_c.... See other sections on that page for additional planned API changes.
[1]: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Query#Continuing_queries [2]: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Raw_Query_Continue [3]: https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/154092/ [4]: See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_1.24/Roadmap for the schedule of deployments to WMF wikis. [5]: https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/160222/ [6]: https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/160223/