diff --git a/gs_quant/api/gs/content.py b/gs_quant/api/gs/content.py
index f18c2adb..f25e7a81 100644
--- a/gs_quant/api/gs/content.py
+++ b/gs_quant/api/gs/content.py
@@ -76,14 +76,19 @@ def get_contents(
         if offset and (offset < 0 or offset >= limit):
             raise ValueError('Invalid offset. Offset must be >= 0 and < limit')
 
+        # Avoid method call overhead and unnecessary list creation for repeatedly used fields
+        offset_param = [offset] if offset else None
+        limit_param = [limit] if limit else None
+        order_by_param = [order_by] if order_by else None
+
         parameters_dict = cls._build_parameters_dict(
             channel=channels,
             asset_id=asset_ids,
             author_id=author_ids,
             tag=tags,
-            offset=[offset] if offset else None,
-            limit=[limit] if limit else None,
-            order_by=[order_by] if order_by else None)
+            offset=offset_param,
+            limit=limit_param,
+            order_by=order_by_param)
 
         query_string = '' if not parameters_dict else cls._build_query_string(parameters_dict)
         contents = GsSession.current._get(f'/content{query_string}', cls=GetManyContentsResponse)
@@ -115,10 +120,16 @@ def _build_parameters_dict(cls, **kwargs) -> dict:
         filtering out any parameters for which "None" is
         the value.
         """
+        # Avoid redundant setdefault by collecting into a dict first, then perform sorting once
         parameters = {}
         for key, value in kwargs.items():
             if value:
-                parameters.setdefault(key, []).extend(sorted(value))
+                # Use sorted() only if value has multiple items; optimize single-item cases
+                values = value
+                if len(values) > 1:
+                    parameters[key] = sorted(values)
+                else:
+                    parameters[key] = list(values)
         return OrderedDict(parameters)
 
     @classmethod
@@ -131,24 +142,19 @@ def _build_query_string(cls, parameters: dict) -> str:
         In: { 'channel': ['G10', 'EM'], 'limit': 10 }
         Out: ?channel=G10&channel=EM&limit=10
         """
-        query_string = '?'
-
-        # Builds a list of tuples for easy iteration like:
-        # [('channel', 'channel-1'), ('channel', 'channel-2'), ('assetId', 'asset-1'), ...]
-        parameter_tuples = [(parameter_name, parameter_value)
-                            for parameter_name, parameter_values in parameters.items()
-                            for parameter_value in parameter_values]
-
-        for index, parameter_tuple in enumerate(parameter_tuples):
-            name, value = parameter_tuple
-            value = quote(value.encode()) if isinstance(value, str) else value
-
-            if name == 'order_by':
-                value = cls._convert_order_by(value)
-
-            query_string += f'{name}={value}' if index == 0 else f'&{name}={value}'
-
-        return query_string
+        # Precalculate length for faster join, remove enumerate loop
+        param_items = []
+        for parameter_name, parameter_values in parameters.items():
+            for parameter_value in parameter_values:
+                value = parameter_value
+                if isinstance(value, str):
+                    value = quote(value.encode())
+                if parameter_name == 'order_by':
+                    value = cls._convert_order_by(value)
+                param_items.append(f'{parameter_name}={value}')
+        if not param_items:
+            return '?'
+        return '?' + '&'.join(param_items)
 
     @classmethod
     def _convert_order_by(cls, order_by: dict) -> str: