Should I use infinite scroll on mobile?

Question

As an e-commerce store owner, I'm trying to optimize my mobile user experience and improve conversion rates. I've heard mixed opinions about infinite scroll, and I'm unsure whether it's the right approach for my product pages. Some say it improves engagement, while others argue it can hurt navigation and user experience. I need a comprehensive understanding of the pros and cons of infinite scroll for mobile, along with best practices for implementation that won't negatively impact my store's performance or conversion rates.

Muhammed Tüfekyapan · Accepted Answer

Should I Use Infinite Scroll on Mobile?
Infinite scroll has significant UX problems for product catalogs that don't exist in social media feeds - where it was originally designed. For cosmetics and fashion stores, the tradeoffs usually don't favor infinite scroll over pagination or load-more patterns.

Infinite Scroll vs. Alternatives

FeatureInfinite ScrollLoad More ButtonPagination
  
    Footer accessibilityImpossibleGoodExcellent
    Shareable positionNoNo (all on same URL)Yes (page number in URL)
    Back-button behaviorReturns to top, loses positionReturns to topReturns to correct page
    PerformanceHeavy - loads continuouslyGood - loads on demandBest - discrete pages
    SEOPoor - hard to indexModerateBest - crawlable pages

The Back-Button Problem

The critical UX failure
    With infinite scroll: customer browses 50 products, clicks one, doesn't buy, hits back - returns to the top of the page and loses their place. This drives bounce, not engagement.

Scroll position restoration workaround
    JavaScript can restore scroll position on back navigation, but this is complex to implement reliably across browsers and breaks on page refresh. Pagination avoids this entirely.

Better Alternatives

Load More button (recommended)
    Show 24 products, then a "Load More" button. Customer controls when to load more. Footer remains accessible. Back-button still loses position but this is acceptable for most catalog sizes.

Pagination with jump-to (for large catalogs)
    For catalogs of 200+ products, pagination with a "Jump to page" option gives customers more control. Also SEO-friendly - each page is indexable and can rank for specific searches.

When Infinite Scroll Is Acceptable
Infinite scroll can work for inspiration/discovery browsing (like a "new arrivals" feed where customers are exploring rather than searching for a specific item), or when your catalog is small enough that the footer accessibility issue doesn't matter. For stores where customers know what they want and are searching, pagination or load-more patterns convert better.

Should I use infinite scroll on mobile?

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