Infinite scroll
/IN-fin-it SKROHL/ · noun · NAV pattern · #101
A list or feed that loads the next batch of items automatically as you near the bottom, so the page seems never to end. Feeds love it; pages where people need to find, compare or reach the footer often do not.
Also called: endless scrolling, infinite scrolling, continuous scrolling, auto load on scroll.
You might call it
- “when a website keeps loading as you scroll”
- “the feed that never ends”
- “endless scrolling”
- “when more posts load at the bottom automatically”
- “scrolling that never reaches the bottom”
…its name is Infinite scroll.
Common questions
Infinite scroll vs pagination: which is better?
Infinite scroll suits feeds people browse without a goal — social posts, image streams. Pagination suits results people search, compare or come back to, because pages are stable, linkable and let people reach the footer. If you are unsure, a Load more button is the middle ground.
Infinite scroll vs load more: what is the difference?
Infinite scroll fetches the next batch automatically when you near the bottom. Load more waits for a click on a button at the end of the list. Load more keeps people in control, lets them reach the footer, and makes it clear how far they have gone.
In code
| Web (JS) | IntersectionObserver Watch a sentinel element after the last item |
|---|---|
| SwiftUI | List .onAppear Load the next page when the last rows appear |
| UIKit | UICollectionViewDataSourcePrefetching |
| Jetpack Compose | LazyColumn collectAsLazyPagingItems() |
| Android (Views) | PagingDataAdapter |
| Flutter | ListView.builder ScrollController |
Prompt for your AI coding tool
Turn this list into infinite scroll: when the visitor nears the end, fetch the next page with an IntersectionObserver on a sentinel after the last item, append the results and show skeleton rows while loading. Stop at the end with an “all caught up” message, show a retry button if a request fails, keep the URL or scroll position so Back returns to the same place, and keep the footer reachable. Announce new items to screen readers politely.
More UI words to use when vibe coding →
Related patterns
All the parts of a website, named →