Mastering Element Scrolling in Lightning Web Components

Posted by Vinay Vernekar 25th December 2025

Quick guide to implementing smooth element scrolling in Lightning Web Components (LWC) using scrollIntoView(), handling scroll events, and improving UX across devices.

Introduction

Smooth scrolling to elements improves navigation and usability in single-page Lightning Web Components. This short guide explains how to use the native scrollIntoView() method inside an LWC, how to handle scroll events, and best practices for responsive UX and animations.

Key Highlights

  • Use scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'start' }) to smoothly scroll to a target element.
  • Listen for scroll events when you need to update UI state or trigger lazy loading.
  • Create navigation menus that jump to multiple sections for complex pages.
  • Add subtle CSS transitions to improve perceived performance and visual polish.
  • Test across devices and viewport sizes to ensure consistent behavior.

Sample LWC Implementation

Below is a minimal example showing HTML, JavaScript, and CSS for a component that scrolls to a section when a button is clicked.

ScrollToElement.html

<template>
    <div class="container">
        <div class="scroll-section red-section" data-id="redDiv">
            Welcome to the Red Section
        </div>
        <div class="scroll-section aqua-section">
            Welcome to the Aqua Section
        </div>
        <div class="button-container">
            <lightning-button label="Scroll to Red Section" variant="brand" onclick={handleScrollClick}>
            </lightning-button>
        </div>
    </div>
</template>

ScrollToElement.js

import { LightningElement } from 'lwc';

export default class ScrollToElement extends LightningElement {
    handleScrollClick() {
        console.log('Button clicked');
        const topDiv = this.template.querySelector('[data-id="redDiv"]');
        if (topDiv) {
            topDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'start', inline: 'nearest' });
        }
    }
}

scrollToElement.css

.container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  padding: 20px;
}
.scroll-section {
  min-height: 1000px;
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  font-size: 24px;
  color: white;
}
.red-section {
  background-color: #FF6347;
}
.aqua-section {
  background-color: #00CED1; 
  color: black;
}
.button-container {
  margin-top: 20px;
}

Best Practices & Tips

  • Prefer data attributes (e.g., data-id) to reliably query target nodes inside the component template.
  • Debounce heavy operations triggered by scroll events to avoid jank.
  • Use ARIA roles and focus management where scrolling leads to new actionable content (improves accessibility).
  • Test behavior inside different containers (modals, fixed headers) — you may need additional offset adjustments.

References

Why this matters: Smooth, predictable scrolling makes complex LWC pages easier to navigate and more accessible for end users. Implementing scrolling patterns correctly saves time, reduces user friction, and improves adoption of Lightning apps.

For Salesforce admins, developers, and product owners: incorporating smooth element scrolling is a small UI improvement with outsized impact — especially for long, content-rich components and in-app documentation flows.

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