How can I implement infinite scrolling with React and a REST API?

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This question explores Web Development and addresses practical considerations related to: How can I implement infinite scrolling with React and a REST API?

Q&A Network · Accepted Answer

To implement infinite scrolling in React with a REST API, you'll need to dynamically load more data as the user scrolls down. This is typically achieved by listening to the scroll event and fetching additional data when the user reaches the bottom of the page. You can use React hooks for state management and lifecycle methods to handle the data fetching.

import React, { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';

const InfiniteScrollComponent = () => {
      const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
      const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
      const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

const fetchItems = useCallback(async () => {
        setLoading(true);
        const response = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/items?page=${page}`);
        const data = await response.json();
        setItems(prevItems => [...prevItems, ...data]);
        setLoading(false);
      }, [page]);

useEffect(() => {
        fetchItems();
      }, [fetchItems]);

const handleScroll = () => {
        if (window.innerHeight + document.documentElement.scrollTop !== document.documentElement.offsetHeight || loading) return;
        setPage(prevPage => prevPage + 1);
      };

useEffect(() => {
        window.addEventListener('scroll', handleScroll);
        return () => window.removeEventListener('scroll', handleScroll);
      }, [handleScroll, loading]);

return (
        
          {items.map(item => (
            {item.name}
          ))}
          {loading && Loading...}
        
      );
    };

export default InfiniteScrollComponent;

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:

Ensure your API supports pagination and returns data based on the page number.
Consider implementing a debounce or throttle mechanism to optimize the scroll event listener.
Handle edge cases such as API errors or no more data to load gracefully.
Test the component across different browsers to ensure consistent behavior.

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How can I implement infinite scrolling with React and a REST API?

Asked on Apr 30, 2026

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