Glossary: above the fold

Newspaper editors use this term to describe the part of a printed page which is displayed without having to open-up a folded newspaper. This is the part of the page which is displayed when the paper is inside a vending machine, for instance. It's the most valuable real estate: more people will see it than will see the rest.

Web designers borrow the term to describe the part of a page which is displayed without having to scroll. Content placed above the fold is more likely to be read, and is thus more choice. Web sites which sell ads are more likely to charge higher fees for ads placed above the fold.

Usability studies confirm that content placed above the fold is more likely to be found. Check out our mini-tutorial on writing for the Web for more details.