Infinite Scroll and Pagination
Three ways to handle long result sets, each with a different cost, and the right choice depends on the task.
Definition
Long lists can be paginated, extended by a load-more control, or loaded continuously as the user scrolls. The decision affects findability, accessibility, and whether users can return to a position.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
Choosing between them
| Approach | Good for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pagination | Goal-directed search, results users return to, anything needing a footer | Extra interaction per page. Feels dated in feeds. |
| Load more | Browsing where position matters | Manual, but preserves scroll position and keeps the footer reachable. |
| Infinite scroll | Exploratory feeds with no destination | Unreachable footer, lost position on return, memory growth, poor keyboard experience. |
In practice
Load more as the middle ground
CataloguesA load-more button keeps scroll position on back navigation, keeps the footer reachable and still avoids page reloads. It is frequently the right answer when a team is arguing between the other two.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Applies when you are designing
Principles behind this
The reasoning this solution is an application of.
- Performance as User ExperienceUI foundation
Often used with
These usually appear in the same screen or the same decision.
- CarouselComponent
- FilteringPattern
- Loading StatesPattern
- SearchPattern
Alternative approach
A different answer to the same problem, with a different cost.
- PaginationComponent
Same problem, opposite trade-off: flow versus position and findability.
Short definition
The one-paragraph version, for when that is all you need.
- Infinite ScrollTerm
- Lazy LoadingTerm