diff --git a/src/middleware/rateLimit.js b/src/middleware/rateLimit.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d5e76b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/middleware/rateLimit.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+export function createRateLimiter({ limit, windowMs, now = Date.now }) {
+  const counts = new Map();
+  let currentWindow = null;
+
+  return function allow(key) {
+    const window = Math.floor(now() / windowMs);
+    if (window !== currentWindow) {
+      counts.clear();
+      currentWindow = window;
+    }
+    const used = counts.get(key) ?? 0;
+    if (used >= limit) return false;
+    counts.set(key, used + 1);
+    return true;
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/notes.js b/src/routes/notes.js
index 8248dc1..51b641c 100644
--- a/src/routes/notes.js
+++ b/src/routes/notes.js
@@ -1,8 +1,19 @@
 import { createNote, deleteNote, getNote, listNotes, updateNote } from '../services/notes.js';
 import { noteSummary } from '../utils/format.js';
+import { optionalPositiveInt } from '../utils/validate.js';
+
+const DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE = 5;
+const MAX_PAGE_SIZE = 50;
 
 export const notesRoutes = {
-  'GET /notes': (req) => ({ status: 200, body: listNotes(req.user.id).map(noteSummary) }),
+  'GET /notes': (req) => {
+    const page = optionalPositiveInt(req.query, 'page', 1);
+    const pageSize = Math.min(optionalPositiveInt(req.query, 'pageSize', DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE), MAX_PAGE_SIZE);
+    const notes = listNotes(req.user.id);
+    const start = (page - 1) * pageSize;
+    const items = notes.slice(start, start + pageSize).map(noteSummary);
+    return { status: 200, body: { items, page, pageSize, total: notes.length } };
+  },
   'GET /notes/:id': (req) => {
     const note = getNote(req.user.id, req.params.id);
     return note ? { status: 200, body: note } : { status: 404, body: { error: 'not found' } };
diff --git a/src/utils/format.js b/src/utils/format.js
index 24a3a09..4c90f41 100644
--- a/src/utils/format.js
+++ b/src/utils/format.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // Dates are shown as YYYY-MM-DD in UTC.
 export function formatDate(ms) {
   const d = new Date(ms);
-  const month = String(d.getUTCMonth()).padStart(2, '0');
+  const month = String(d.getUTCMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0');
   const day = String(d.getUTCDate()).padStart(2, '0');
   return `${d.getUTCFullYear()}-${month}-${day}`;
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/validate.js b/src/utils/validate.js
index 72f348f..6f2cd42 100644
--- a/src/utils/validate.js
+++ b/src/utils/validate.js
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ export function optionalTags(obj) {
   return [...new Set(tags.map((t) => String(t).toLowerCase().trim()).filter(Boolean))];
 }
 
+export function optionalPositiveInt(obj, field, fallback) {
+  const raw = obj?.[field];
+  if (raw === undefined || raw === '') return fallback;
+  const value = Number(raw);
+  if (!Number.isInteger(value) || value < 1) throw new ValidationError(field, 'must be a positive integer');
+  return value;
+}
+
 export function requireEmail(obj, field = 'email') {
   const value = requireString(obj, field);
   if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(value)) throw new ValidationError(field, 'must be an email address');
diff --git a/tests/api.test.js b/tests/api.test.js
index 32d499e..574ce07 100644
--- a/tests/api.test.js
+++ b/tests/api.test.js
@@ -15,11 +15,31 @@ test('notes need a valid token', () => {
   assert.equal(handle({ method: 'GET', path: '/notes', headers: {} }).status, 401);
 });
 
-test('lists only my notes, newest first', () => {
+test('lists only my notes, newest first, paginated', () => {
   const res = as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes' });
   assert.equal(res.status, 200);
-  assert.equal(res.body.length, 8);
-  assert.equal(res.body[0].title, 'Car service');
+  assert.equal(res.body.total, 8);
+  assert.equal(res.body.page, 1);
+  assert.equal(res.body.pageSize, 5);
+  assert.equal(res.body.items.length, 5);
+  assert.equal(res.body.items[0].title, 'Car service');
+});
+
+test('pagination returns later pages and honors pageSize', () => {
+  const page2 = as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { page: '2' } });
+  assert.equal(page2.body.items.length, 3);
+  assert.equal(page2.body.page, 2);
+  const small = as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { page: 3, pageSize: 3 } });
+  assert.equal(small.body.items.length, 2);
+  assert.equal(small.body.total, 8);
+  const beyond = as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { page: 9 } });
+  assert.deepEqual(beyond.body.items, []);
+});
+
+test('pageSize is capped at 50 and bad values are 400s', () => {
+  assert.equal(as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { pageSize: '500' } }).body.pageSize, 50);
+  assert.equal(as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { page: '0' } }).status, 400);
+  assert.equal(as('u1', { method: 'GET', path: '/notes', query: { pageSize: 'abc' } }).status, 400);
 });
 
 test('creates and deletes a note', () => {
diff --git a/tests/format.test.js b/tests/format.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99bd9c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/format.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { formatDate, noteSummary } from '../src/utils/format.js';
+
+test('formatDate uses 1-based months', () => {
+  assert.equal(formatDate(Date.UTC(2026, 2, 15)), '2026-03-15');
+  assert.equal(formatDate(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1)), '2026-01-01');
+  assert.equal(formatDate(Date.UTC(2026, 11, 31)), '2026-12-31');
+});
+
+test('noteSummary shows the correct created month', () => {
+  const note = { id: 'n1', title: 't', body: 'b', tags: [], createdAt: Date.UTC(2026, 2, 15) };
+  assert.equal(noteSummary(note).created, '2026-03-15');
+});
diff --git a/tests/middleware/rateLimit.test.js b/tests/middleware/rateLimit.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7e6e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/middleware/rateLimit.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { createRateLimiter } from '../../src/middleware/rateLimit.js';
+
+test('allows up to limit calls per key, then rejects', () => {
+  const allow = createRateLimiter({ limit: 2, windowMs: 1000, now: () => 5000 });
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), true);
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), true);
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), false);
+});
+
+test('keys are tracked independently', () => {
+  const allow = createRateLimiter({ limit: 1, windowMs: 1000, now: () => 0 });
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), true);
+  assert.equal(allow('b'), true);
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), false);
+});
+
+test('windows are fixed at multiples of windowMs', () => {
+  let t = 1500;
+  const allow = createRateLimiter({ limit: 1, windowMs: 1000, now: () => t });
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), true);
+  t = 1999;
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), false);
+  t = 2000;
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), true);
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), false);
+});
+
+test('limit of 0 always rejects', () => {
+  const allow = createRateLimiter({ limit: 0, windowMs: 1000, now: () => 0 });
+  assert.equal(allow('a'), false);
+});