When to Use Pagination, Load More, or Infinite Scroll? A Data‑Driven Design Guide

When designing list pages, choosing between manual loading (pagination or "load more" button) and automatic loading (infinite scroll) can greatly affect user experience.

Research by Baymard shows users find pagination slow and often avoid browsing many pages, while "load more" and infinite scroll let users view more items, though each has trade‑offs.

Users consider pagination sluggish and are less likely to continue browsing long lists. Infinite scroll lets users see many items quickly, but the first screen shows few items and footers may be missed.

Infinite scroll provides a seamless, uninterrupted browsing experience and typically results in more items viewed per unit time, but it can hide footer content and make it hard to return to earlier items.

"Load more" offers a simple interaction with low cognitive load; users explicitly request more items, leading to careful examination and comparable item counts to infinite scroll.

Pagination breaks content into discrete pages, giving users expectations about information volume, easy navigation, quick jumps, and reading rhythm, but it can interrupt browsing flow and cause user loss.

Choosing the appropriate loading pattern depends on the product’s context: infinite scroll suits quick overviews, "load more" works well when users need control, and pagination is useful when precise navigation or footers are important.

By applying Baymard’s usability findings, designers can make informed decisions to enhance product experience.