The portion of a webpage visible before a user scrolls.
A high-priority area for communicating value, orientation, and the next action.
Short and sweet:
The portion of a webpage visible before a user scrolls.
A high-priority area for communicating value, orientation, and the next action.
See also: Hero Section, Call to Action, User Experience
Above the fold refers to the portion of a webpage visible on screen before a visitor scrolls, a term borrowed from newspaper layout where the most important story sat on the top half of a folded page. Because most visitors decide whether to keep reading within seconds, whatever sits here, a headline, key value proposition, or primary call to action, carries outsized weight in whether someone stays or leaves. Unlike print, this area now varies by device and screen size, which makes testing across different viewports essential rather than optional.
Apple’s homepage always places its newest product front and center above the fold, so a visitor sees the hero image and a single clear call-to-action button before scrolling an inch.
A SaaS company like Slack puts its core value proposition and a “Get Started” button in that same top strip, betting that most visitors never make it past the first screen.
News sites like CNN carefully arrange breaking headlines and top stories in that same prime real estate, since studies show a huge share of readers never scroll further down the homepage.
