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When each page represents some meaningful chunk, such as list of items starting with certain letter(s) or a certain chapter/section of a document etc., then pagination is better. If the page does not have any meaning, such as numbered pages of a long list, then (infinite) scroll is better. Save this answer.
- When should you not use pagination?
- Why should we avoid pagination?
- Why is pagination better?
- Do I need to paginate?
When should you not use pagination?
If your pagination system is too large, a search engine might exhaust its scanning on your navigation pages, and miss pages containing the content you want users to find. To avoid this issue, don't use more pages than you need — each page of content should provide significant value to visitors (and search engine bots).
Why should we avoid pagination?
Some paginations can have so many pages that the page numbers start to reach triple digits. No user will ever sit and browse from page 1 to 100. This is why you should never display your content as a giant, endless archive.
Why is pagination better?
Pros of pagination
Page-by-page navigation allows the user to remember the location of an item. The visitors might remember the approximate location, but the numbered links will help them get to the necessary page faster. Pagination is good for commercial sites and applications.
Do I need to paginate?
Good pagination will help you both to reduce the weight of the page you serve to the client and the query charge on the database. (because you only need to load 10 or 20 items instead of thousand). And of course, User Experience is very important too. No one want to scroll for days to find something on a webpage.
