How shoppers move through your product catalog affects how many products they see — and how many they buy. On WooCommerce shop and category pages, you have three main choices: classic pagination, a Load more button or infinite scroll.
Each option has strengths. The right choice depends on your products, your shoppers and your SEO needs.
Quick answer
Infinite scroll loads more products automatically as shoppers scroll — great for visual, browse-heavy stores and mobile. Load more adds products when the shopper taps a button, keeping the footer reachable. Pagination splits products into numbered pages, which suits large catalogs and shoppers who compare items. Many stores get the best balance from infinite scroll or Load more combined with crawlable paginated URLs for SEO.
1. Pagination
Pagination is WooCommerce’s default: products are split into pages with numbered links.
Pros:
- Shoppers know where they are and can return to a page.
- The footer is always reachable.
- Paginated URLs are easy for search engines to crawl.
Cons:
- Every page change is a full page load.
- Shoppers often stop after the first page or two.
- Small numbered links are hard to tap on mobile.
2. Infinite scroll
Infinite scroll loads the next set of products automatically when the shopper reaches the end of the list.
Pros:
- Smooth, uninterrupted browsing — especially on mobile.
- Shoppers tend to see more products.
- Works well for visual products such as fashion, decor and art.
Cons:
- The footer can become hard to reach.
- Returning to the same position after viewing a product can be tricky without proper handling.
- Needs crawlable fallback links for SEO.
3. Load more button
A Load more button is a middle ground: products are added to the same page, but only when the shopper asks.
Pros:
- Shoppers stay in control.
- The footer stays reachable.
- Easy to tap on mobile.
Cons:
- One extra tap per batch of products.
4. Which option should you choose?
- Visual, browse-heavy stores: infinite scroll or Load more.
- Mobile-first audiences: infinite scroll or Load more.
- Large catalogs with filters and comparisons: pagination or Load more.
- B2B or spec-heavy products: pagination, so shoppers can return to exact positions.
Combine your choice with good product filters and search, so shoppers never need to scroll endlessly to find the right product.
5. SEO and performance tips
- Keep paginated URLs available in the HTML, so search engines can crawl every product.
- Update the URL as new pages load, so shared links and the back button work.
- Load products in reasonable batches, such as 12–24.
- Lazy-load product images below the first view.
- Preserve the scroll position when shoppers return from a product page.
Shop page navigation checklist
- Navigation style chosen for your products and audience
- Crawlable paginated URLs kept for SEO
- Footer reachable, or important links moved elsewhere
- Back button returns shoppers to the same position
- Batches of 12–24 products
- Filters and search available on long lists
Load more products without page reloads
Siteryn Infinite Scroll for WooCommerce loads more products automatically as shoppers scroll, with no page reloads or pagination clicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is infinite scroll bad for SEO?
Not if it is implemented correctly. Keep paginated URLs crawlable and update the URL as products load, so search engines can still find every product.
Does infinite scroll increase sales?
It can increase the number of products shoppers see, especially on mobile. Whether that leads to more sales depends on your products and how easy it is to find and compare them.
What is the difference between infinite scroll and Load more?
Infinite scroll loads products automatically when shoppers reach the end of the list. Load more waits for the shopper to tap a button.
Can I use infinite scroll on mobile only?
Yes, some setups let you use infinite scroll on mobile and pagination on desktop. Test what works best for your shoppers.
Final Thoughts
There’s no single best answer for every WooCommerce store. Infinite scroll suits browsing, Load more balances control and convenience, and pagination suits careful comparison.
Choose based on how your customers shop, keep SEO-friendly URLs in place and test the result on real mobile devices.
