The portion of a webpage visible to a visitor without scrolling — a term borrowed from print newspapers, where the "fold" determined what was visible on a newsstand.
Why it matters
Content above the fold gets seen by every visitor, while content below the fold is only seen by those who choose to scroll — making the above-the-fold area the highest-priority real estate for the most important message and call to action.
In a sentence
"We moved the pricing summary above the fold after noticing a lot of visitors weren't scrolling far enough to see it."
Related terms
- Antonyms: Below the fold.
- Often confused with: Hero section (see above).