Quillfold

When the next page isn't captured

Published by Quillfold, which makes TableHarvest.

The table has 12 pages and your export has one. Or the tool clicked Next, and you got page 1 again. Following pages sounds simple, but “Next” is built in several different ways, and each way breaks a different kind of tool.

This guide shows how to tell which kind of pager a site has, and what works for each.

Look at the pager first

Three quick checks tell you most of what you need.

  1. Hover over Next. If the browser shows an address in the corner of the window, Next is an ordinary link. If nothing appears, it is a button that runs code on the page.
  2. Click Next and watch the address bar. Did it change (?page=2, &start=20, /page/2/)? Did the whole page reload, or only the table?
  3. Read the Next button. Is it a word (“Next”, “次へ”, “Weiter”), an arrow (›, », →), an icon with no text, or only page numbers?

The answers sort pagers into four kinds.

KindAddress changesWhole page reloads
Link to the next addressYesYes
Button that replaces only the table (DataTables works this way)Often noNo
Button that reloads the whole page through a script (javascript: links, form posts)SometimesYes
Load more / infinite scrollNoNo

Why tools stop after page 1

  • They can’t find Next. The button has no text, uses an arrow, or is in a language the tool doesn’t know. ”»” is a further trap: on many sites it means Last, not Next.
  • The Next button is disabled but still there. On the last page, some sites grey out Next instead of removing it. A tool that clicks it anyway sees the same page again and may record it twice.
  • The page reloads and the tool loses track. After a full reload, the table is a new element. If its position on the page shifts (an ad, a banner, a notice), a tool that looks for “the table at the same place” finds a different one or none.
  • The link only works inside the page. Links written as javascript:goPage(2) do nothing when an extension clicks them from its own isolated context; the page’s own code has to run them.
  • The address doesn’t change. Excel’s From Web and Google Sheets’ IMPORTHTML read one address. If page 2 has no address of its own, they cannot reach it.

What works for each kind (as of October 2026)

By hand

  • If the address changes, you can type page numbers into the address bar and copy each page.
  • Look for a page-size setting (“Show 100 per page”) and set it to the largest value first.
  • If the site offers its own download, use it. You don’t need to follow pages at all.

Excel and Google Sheets

Both work when each page has its own address:

  • Excel (Windows), Data > From Web: import each page’s address as a query, then combine them with Append in Power Query. Microsoft describes append as creating “a single table by adding the contents of one or more tables to another” (Microsoft Learn, updated 2026-04-08). Automatic paging in Power Query is documented only for custom connector developers (“Handling paging for Power Query connectors”, updated 2026-07-13). From Web is not listed among the Power Query sources in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web (Microsoft support pages read on 7 October 2026).
  • Google Sheets: IMPORTHTML(url, "table", index) takes one address. Put one formula per page, each with its page’s address, one under another. Google’s help page does not mention following pages.

If the address doesn’t change between pages, neither tool can reach page 2. More detail: Excel “From Web” can’t see your table, IMPORTHTML returns an error or the wrong table.

Browser extensions

As of 7 October 2026, the Instant Data Scraper listing says: “Automatic navigation to next page via buttons or links”, “Support for infinite scrolling”, and “Delay and maximum wait time customization for desired crawling speed”. It is free. The Table Capture listing puts “Capture multi-page tables and tables that load as you scroll” in its paid tier.

Side-by-side comparisons, with the cases where the other extension is the better choice: Instant Data Scraper or TableHarvest? and Table Capture or TableHarvest?

What TableHarvest does to find Next

TableHarvest is our extension. Its pager handling is covered by automated tests on sample pages and was checked on public sites on 6 October 2026 (an English link pager, a DataTables button pager, a Japanese “次へ” pager over 21 pages, and a Korean “다음” pager that reloads the page through a script).

  • Words and arrows in about 25 languages. Next, 次へ, 下一页, 下一頁, 다음, Weiter, Suivant, Siguiente, Próxima and others, plus › → > ▶ ❯. ”»” is tried after ”›”, because it often means Last. Previous, First and Last are recognised in the same languages and never clicked.
  • Disabled buttons are skipped. A greyed-out Next means the last page, and the capture ends there.
  • Page numbers. If there is no Next but there are numbered links, it finds the current page and clicks the next number.
  • Right-to-left pages. On pages written right to left, a left-pointing arrow is treated as Next.
  • Load more and infinite scroll. Both are followed, and the capture ends when no new rows appear.
  • Pages that reload. After a full reload, it finds the same table again by its structure, not only by its position, so a banner that moves the table does not break the capture. javascript: links are run in the page’s own context, where they work.
  • When it can’t find Next. Click Pick Next button, then click the site’s Next once. TableHarvest remembers it for that site and checks the button’s label each time, so a different button that happens to be in the same place is not clicked by mistake.
  • Permission. If a capture has to load a new page, Chrome asks once for access to that one site. You can decline.

On the free plan, one capture follows up to 3 pages. When it stops at that limit, the panel says so and the rows already captured can be downloaded. Pro removes the page limit. If a capture stops for another reason (Next not found, page didn’t change, time-out), the panel names the reason and the next thing to try.

Be gentle with the site

Following pages sends one request per page, like clicking through by hand. Check the site’s terms before capturing many pages, and don’t run large captures against sites that ask you not to.

When you don’t need any of this

  • The site has an export or download button.
  • The page-size setting can show all rows on one page.
  • Each page has its own address, and you need a sheet that refreshes on its own: Google Sheets with one IMPORTHTML per page, or Excel’s From Web with appended queries, does that and TableHarvest does not.

Sources

Read on 7 October 2026.

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