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August 17, 2011

Google Tests Infinite Scrolling for Search Results Pages

After testing a persistent header, Google continues to experiment with infinite scrolling for Google search results. A Webmaster World user spotted a new box that replaces the standard pagination links: "show more results". When you click the message, Google loads the second page of results below the top results.


Barry Schwartz says that Google tested a similar interface back in June. I remember that SearchMash, Google's old playground for search experiments, used infinite scrolling in the first iterations. Last year, Google Image Search added infinite scrolling,

There are many extensions that add infinite scrolling to Google search results pages. One of the best is AutoPager, which is available for Firefox and Chrome.

14 comments:

  1. Infinite scrolling would be good, and a fixed header would make me happier about there not being a search box at the bottom or each page, but what about the classic "Goooooooooogle"? :( It's all that remains of classic Google in the new designs...

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  2. Yes, we all would miss lovable multicolored Gooooooooooooogle.

    Moreover, sometimes my browser freezes due to infinite scrolling in twitter. I hope it doesnt happen with Google.

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  3. Infinite scrolling would be good, and a fixed header would make me happier about there not being a search box at the bottom or each page, but what about the classic "Goooooooooogle"?

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  4. I feel sorry for the tester who has to find out if it continue forever.

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  5. I will test the Chrome extension to test/UX, thanks. About Google Images, the pager was great to make big jumps in navigation without making big scrollings...

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  6. I'm guessing that infinite is actually subject to the existing limit of 1000 results shown. If not, that would be something big.

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  7. "Infinite scrolling" is just a name. Obviously, the number of results is limited and Google will never show more than 1000 results for performance reasons.

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  8. A shame it's all becoming Facebook fashion... we will miss the goooooooooooooooogle

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  9. goooooooooooooooogle is awesome.

    I am happy to see googlers are experimenting new concepts on a rapid move.

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  10. How many results are going to get displayed in 1st page then? 3 as in image shown above? then that would be s***!

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  11. For God's sake, how to DISABLE this "feature"?

    I look like an idiot trying to click the links on the bottom of Google's search page, and they always elude me as I get thirty more results I didn't ask for instead.

    List of Google features I hate that got shoved in my face whether I like them or not:

    - the useless left tab on iGoogle homepages

    - the useless and irritating page previews on the right hand side of search pages

    - the useless, annoying and SLOOOW google instant. Do I not know when I wish to press enter to conclude my search? It takes me 0.1 seconds to do that. Instead, typing becomes interrupted by halts and I get lots of distracting, useless search results relating to some letters in my search terms? Please...

    - infinite scroll. I discovered this existed when I types a phrase and tried to go directly to the 5th page of results. Why? Because I was translating, and I wished to get an idea of how often an english expression is used. So I take a peek at the 5th page and see if it still shows coherently there. Not anymore.

    - faces of people showing to the right of search results. Do I really want to check out the mustache of the Pakistani geek that is answering my tech question? No, thanks...

    I see a trend here: Google is fine, Google thinks it needs to invent something, Google invents something useless, Google shoves it in our faces, in some cases without easy ways to disable it.

    Google, please STOP helping us with our searches. Please STOP helping us save keypresses and clicks, only to make us click more and more.

    Your intelligence is growing dangerously more artificial every day...

    (I don't usually rant at forums, what happened to me?)

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  12. i prefer the number of result to be shown in each page result, we don't want infinitely search for info on what we type.. we just want to find the most related one...

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  13. this is a bad idea. everyone is familiar with the ten result pages, and often use it as a gauge of how relevant results are. it will certainly not go down well in SEO circles.

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