← DictionaryAbove the Fold
The part of a page visible before any scrolling.
What people see before they scroll.
What It Is
Above the Fold is part of Website, and more precisely Layout. In practice it means this: the part of a page visible before any scrolling.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Held that way, the term stays useful instead of turning into decoration.
How It's Used
You will usually meet Above the Fold in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. In real work it sits close to Hero Section, Visual Hierarchy and Below the Fold. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Above the Fold is cheap to get right early and awkward to fix late. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. Deciding it deliberately costs one conversation. Leaving it undecided costs several.
It is the short word for a longer explanation. What people see before they scroll.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Inside the industry, Above the Fold is used tightly and assumed to be understood: the part of a page visible before any scrolling.
Away from the jargon, it is what people see before they scroll.
The Bottom Line
Above the Fold is not complicated — it is just often left vague. What people see before they scroll. Decide it, write it down, move on.