The Fold
Define
A theoretical horizontal line, below which the content of a web page is not visible without scrolling
This term is borrowed from the literal horizontal fold in the centre of broadsheet newspapers. In that medium, headlines and other eye- catching content are often placed above the fold line, to be visible when the newspaper is folded in half for display.
On the web, the 'above the fold' area is seen as the page first loads, before the user has scrolled down. Due to the many varied display sizes used to browse the web today, the exact location of the fold will differ between devices.
The importance of the concept of the fold on the web, and how content is arranged relative to it, is still debated.
Resources
- 📘 Above the Fold: Understanding the Principles or Successful WebSite Design - Brian Miller
- 📃 How do you approach educating clients about the fold - Stack Exchange
- 📃 Above the fold - Wikipedia
- 📃 Scrolling and attention - Nielsen Norman Group