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Below the fold means the part of a webpage that is not visible in the initial screen view and appears only after a visitor scrolls. The boundary is not a fixed pixel line: it changes with the screen, browser window, and how the page is displayed.
What does “below the fold” mean?
Google AdSense defines below the fold as “the portion of the page that is viewable only after a user scrolls down.” Google AdSense Help: Below the fold
In practical terms, content in the initial viewport is above the fold; content that requires scrolling is below it. Because visitors use different screen sizes and browser layouts, there is no universal screen height or pixel coordinate that marks the fold.
Where does the phrase come from?
The expression comes from newspaper display. “Above the fold” described the upper part of a broadsheet’s front page, visible when the paper was folded on a newsstand. Web publishers adopted the metaphor for the boundary between what appears in the first screenful and what is revealed by scrolling. Google AdSense Help: Above the fold
Does the fold matter for readers?
It matters as a question of visibility, not as a rule that people never scroll. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines advises keeping homepages to one screenful where possible and warns that visitors may miss information outside the initial view. It notes that older users and novices may be more likely to overlook below-the-fold content. The guidance also observes: “Some users take a long time to scroll down ‘below the fold,’ indicating a reluctance to move from the first screenful to subsequent information.” HHS Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines
That is a usability caution, not a claim that all visitors behave alike. Place essential orientation and actions where they are easy to find, make it apparent when more content follows, and organize longer pages so the next section is easy to locate.
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What do the well-known scrolling figures actually say?
A 2010 Nielsen Norman Group article reported that web users spent 80% of their time looking at information above the page fold and 20% below it. Those figures describe the study discussed in that dated article; they are not a current, universal rate for every site or device. The article also recounts early usability studies from 1994–1996, when sites often failed if they placed important information below the fold because users commonly did not scroll. Nielsen Norman Group, “Scrolling and Attention,” March 21, 2010
In a 2007 discussion of whether the fold matters, the National Library of New Zealand quoted Milissa Tarquini: “The key is the content – if it is compelling, users will follow where it leads.” The point is not to hide critical information below the fold, but to make the continuation useful and clear. National Library of New Zealand, “Does the fold matter?”
Quick Recap
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How to think about content placement
- Initial visibility: Is the information essential for understanding the page or completing the main task? Make high-priority content easy to see.
- Scroll cues: Can visitors tell that more content continues below the initial view?
- Findability after scrolling: Are sections organized and labeled so readers can locate the information they need?
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