Infinite scroll with no footer access

Problem Context

• The page uses infinite scroll, auto-load-on-near-bottom, virtualized lists, dynamic feeds, product grids, search results, activity streams, or media streams.
• The page footer contains required or useful destinations such as privacy, terms, accessibility, cookies, contact, language, feedback, account, app download, sitemap, or support.
• Users may be trying to finish a task, compare loaded items, reach help, satisfy a legal requirement, unsubscribe, change privacy settings, or leave the stream.
• The product may also need reading position restoration, loaded-count disclosure, item identity, loading failures, offline retry, and mobile browser chrome behavior.

Selection Rules

• Flag this anti-pattern when automatic loading prevents reliable access to footer links, page end, support routes, legal links, feedback, or other bottom-of-page utilities.
• Flag it when the only route to privacy, terms, contact, language, or cookie settings is below an endlessly extending list.
• Use feed when users intentionally consume a continuing stream and the design preserves reading position, item identity, loaded boundaries, and access to footer or escape controls.
• Use pagination when users need stable page position, shareable page state, exact result review, footer access, or a known end.
• Use card list or list view when users manage a bounded object collection with filtering, sorting, selection, comparison, and object actions rather than passively consuming a stream.
• Use skip link behavior for bypassing repeated page chrome or jumping to a footer target, but do not use skip links as a substitute for fixing endless auto-load.
• Use an explicit Load more boundary when continuous loading is useful for browsing but users still need control over when more content is inserted.
• If auto-load remains, limit the number of automatic batches before showing a deliberate Load more control and a reachable footer.
• When the footer contains legally required controls, repeat those controls near the feed boundary or keep the footer reachable without relying on exact scroll timing.
• Preserve scroll position, focused item, loaded count, and route return state so users can open an item, come back, and still reach the same boundary.

Required States

• Default stream with loaded item count, order label, and visible footer-access plan.
• Auto-load paused after a small number of batches with a Load more control and footer visible.
• Jump to footer or footer utility shortcut state.
• End-of-feed state with footer reachable and no spinner loop.
• Loading more state that does not move focus or hide the footer indefinitely.
• Failed-load state with Retry and footer access still available.
• Return-from-detail state that restores scroll position and loaded boundary.
• Mobile compact state where footer links, back to top, and load-more controls remain reachable.
• Bad state showing auto-load pushing the footer away, keyboard trap through cards, no end state, spinner loop, and lost position.

Interaction Contract

• Users can reach footer utilities without racing automatic loading.
• Automatic loading has a bounded policy, a visible count, and a deliberate user-controlled continuation point.
• Load more, Retry, Jump to footer, Back to top, and footer links are keyboard reachable without requiring traversal of every loaded item.
• Newly loaded content is inserted at a predictable boundary and announced without moving focus unexpectedly.
• The interface communicates whether more items exist, loading failed, loading is paused, or the end has been reached.
• Opening an item and returning restores the previous scroll position, focused item, loaded count, and footer-access boundary.
• Essential legal, privacy, support, cookie, language, and feedback links are available outside any unreachable footer if the stream can grow.
• Pagination or explicit Load more replaces infinite scroll when users need exact position, completion, comparison, footer access, or shareable state.

Implementation Checklist

• Identify all footer-only links and decide whether each must also appear near the stream boundary, header, account menu, or help menu.
• Limit automatic batches before requiring an explicit Load more action.
• Render a stable loaded boundary with item count, loading status, end state, failure, and retry.
• Add Jump to footer or skip-to-footer behavior when long feeds precede required footer links.
• Keep footer links in the normal document flow and test them with keyboard and screen reader navigation.
• Preserve scroll and focus position after opening items, applying filters, sorting, navigating back, refreshing, or retrying.
• Avoid auto-loading while a user is keyboard-tabbing near the footer or focused on footer-access controls.
• Test mobile viewport height, virtualized list unmounting, browser back, reduced motion, offline failure, and slow network loading.
• Prefer pagination or load-more controls when the stream supports search, filters, exact review, task completion, or legal footer access.

Common Generated-UI Mistakes

• Putting Privacy, Terms, Accessibility, Contact, Cookies, or language links only in a footer that infinite scroll prevents users from reaching.
• Appending items every time the footer comes into view.
• Using a spinner at the bottom as the only end-of-feed indicator.
• Adding a Back to top control while still making the footer unreachable.
• Telling users to use search to find footer links.
• Letting keyboard users tab through newly inserted cards forever before footer links.
• Virtualizing items without preserving focused item or return position.
• Treating infinite scroll as harmless because analytics show high engagement, while users cannot complete support or legal tasks.

Critique Questions

• Can a mouse, touch, keyboard, and screen reader user reliably reach the footer?
• Which required links are footer-only, and what happens if the footer is pushed away?
• How many batches auto-load before the user must choose Load more?
• Is there a visible loaded count, end state, loading failure, and retry?
• Can users jump to footer, back to top, and return to the same item after opening detail?
• Would pagination, Load more, card list, list view, or a bounded feed better match this task?