Definition:
Scroll is the action of moving the view through content that does not fit entirely within the visible area of a screen. It lets someone move through a web page, app, document or video game vertically, horizontally or, in some cases, in several directions.
The word can describe both the user’s action and the movement shown by the interface. Related expressions include scrolling, swiping and moving through a page, although the exact gesture depends on the device.
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How to scroll
On a computer, someone can scroll with a mouse wheel or touch surface, a scroll bar, the keyboard or a touchpad gesture. On phones and tablets, the usual action is to drag the content with a finger. Some interfaces also move the view automatically when a link is selected, an item opens or an accessibility feature is used.
Scrolling reveals information located beyond the area initially displayed on screen, known in web design as above the fold. Scrolling does not necessarily mean reaching the end or reading everything that has passed across the screen.
Types and patterns of scrolling
The direction and behaviour depend on the content and interface:
- Vertical scrolling: moves the view down or up. It is the most common form on websites, documents and social networks.
- Horizontal scrolling: moves content from side to side. It may appear in galleries, carousels, tables or timelines.
- Infinite scroll: loads more items as the person moves on, without dividing them into visible pages. It is a loading and navigation pattern, not a separate direction.
- Parallax scrolling: moves visual layers at different speeds during scrolling to create a sense of depth. It is an effect associated with scrolling and is explained in more detail under Parallax.
In video games, the scene may move horizontally, vertically or in several directions as the character advances. Super Mario is a classic example of side-scrolling, although many current games combine the axes freely.
Scrolling, web design and user experience
Scrolling makes it possible to organise content that extends beyond the screen, but its design affects the user experience. A page should make it clear that more information is available, preserve a readable hierarchy and avoid fixed elements that leave too little space. Unexpected horizontal scrolling often makes reading harder, especially on mobile devices.
Page length alone does not determine usability. Content quality, loading speed, navigation, element placement and support for keyboards, gestures or assistive technologies also matter. Continuous feeds can encourage longer sessions, but the pattern should not be confused with doomscrolling, which describes the repeated consumption of negative information.
How scrolling is measured
Digital analytics commonly records scroll depth through events linked to percentages or specific points on a page. For example, an implementation may report whether the view crossed 25%, 50%, 75% or the end of the document. Tools such as Google Tag Manager can configure this type of trigger, while a scrollmap shows, in aggregate, how far a group of users reached.
Scroll depth needs context. Reaching a point does not prove that the content was read or that the user understood the page. The figure is more useful when combined with time, interactions, the actual visibility of elements and the page’s objective.