In short. Infinite scroll needs persistent, linked chunk URLs and loading that works without user interaction for Google to access the content.

Definition: Infinite scroll is a page interface that loads additional content as a reader scrolls down. Crawl access depends on how those content chunks load and whether each chunk has a linked, persistent URL.

Key facts

As of 17 October 2026, Google's documentation describes the following requirements and behavior:

Google's lazy-loading guidance requires a persistent, unique URL for each infinite-scroll chunk and sequential links between chunks.
Google's pagination guidance explains that its crawlers do not click buttons and generally do not trigger JavaScript functions requiring user actions.
Google's AI features documentation requires a page to be indexed and eligible for a Search snippet before it is eligible as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Why can scrolling hide content from Google?

Lazy-loading means deferring content until it is needed. Google's lazy-loading documentation recommends loading relevant content when it becomes visible in the viewport, the visible area of the page. It lists the IntersectionObserver API as an implementation option.

The same guidance says Google Search does not interact with a page. An implementation that requires a scroll or click event can therefore leave content unloaded during Google's processing. Content immediately visible when the page opens should load without lazy-loading.

How should content chunks be addressed and linked?

Pagination divides content into separately addressable pages. Google's infinite-scroll instructions recommend absolute page numbers, such as ?page=12, with consistent content at each URL. When a newly loaded chunk becomes the primary visible content, the History API updates the browser's displayed address so readers can refresh or share that chunk.

Google's pagination documentation calls for links from each page to the following page. This illustrative HTML combines that link pattern with the documented numbered URL:

<a href="?page=12">Next page</a>

Each page in the sequence should have its own canonical URL, the preferred address declared for that page. Google advises against using URL fragments, the part after #, for page numbers because it ignores fragment identifiers.

Google's link guidance specifies an HTML <a> element with an href attribute. JavaScript can insert these links dynamically, provided they use this markup and resolve to an actual web address.

How is crawl access checked?

Google's testing instructions recommend Search Console's URL Inspection Tool to check the rendered HTML, the HTML produced after page processing. The expected chunk text should appear there. For images or videos, the guidance checks whether their URLs appear in the src attributes of the corresponding elements.

For an infinite-scroll collection, this makes each chunk URL a useful inspection target. Checking a later chunk directly tests access to content beyond the initial view.

Why does this matter for AI search?

Google's AI features guidance connects supporting-link eligibility in AI Overviews and AI Mode to Search indexing and snippet eligibility. It also recommends internal links and important content in textual form. For an infinite-scroll site, crawl access is therefore part of the path to that eligibility. These Google instructions describe Google's systems; other answer engines require their own evidence.

FAQ

Can I keep infinite scroll on my website?

Yes. Google's lazy-loading guidance supports infinite scroll with paginated loading, persistent chunk URLs and sequential links.

Is a Load more button enough for Google?

Google's pagination guidance says its crawlers do not click buttons. You need crawlable links to the additional pages so access can proceed without that interaction.

Sources

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