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How to Stop OneNote for the Web from Scrolling to the Top

Camila Milosovich Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to know if there is a way to preserve the scroll position when switching between pages in OneNote for the web.

How to Stop OneNote for the Web from Scrolling to the Top

Product: OneNote for the web
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Switching between different pages or notes within the OneNote web application via the Google Chrome browser.
Observed behavior: The application automatically scrolls to the top of the canvas when a new page is opened or switched to, instead of remembering the previous scroll position.

Before you start

Keep in mind that web-based applications often have feature limitations compared to their desktop counterparts, and certain navigational behaviors are hardcoded into the web interface.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the OneNote Desktop Application

Since the web version cannot save scroll positions by design, switching to the desktop app provides a more stable navigation and editing experience.

Currently, OneNote for the web is designed to automatically scroll to the top whenever you open or switch pages. There is no built-in setting or browser extension to disable this behavior. To avoid this limitation, use the fully-featured desktop version.

Locate the Desktop App Option

While viewing your notebook in OneNote for the web, look at the top ribbon menu for the 'Open in Desktop App' button.

Launch the Application

Click the button to launch your notebook directly in the desktop version of OneNote, which handles page memory and scroll positions more effectively.

Design Limitation: The auto-scroll behavior in the web version is an intended design by Microsoft, meaning no troubleshooting steps within Chrome will fix the web behavior.

Solution 2

Submit Feature Feedback to Microsoft

Report this limitation directly to Microsoft developers to encourage future updates that preserve scroll positions in the web app.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote for the web always scroll to the top?

This is the current designed behavior of the OneNote web application. When a page is loaded or switched in the browser, the canvas refreshes and defaults to the top of the note.

Can I change a setting to stop OneNote web from auto-scrolling?

No, there is currently no option or setting within OneNote for the web or Google Chrome to preserve the editing position or stop it from scrolling to the top.

Will clearing my Chrome cache fix the OneNote scrolling issue?

No, clearing your browser cache or cookies will not resolve this because it is a hardcoded feature of the OneNote web platform, not a browser error.

Does the desktop version of OneNote have this same scrolling problem?

Generally, no. The desktop versions of OneNote offer a more robust user experience and handle scroll positions and page transitions much better than the web version.

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